Going Native
by Ideas-Guy
Summary: It's really hard to maintain a clean conscience when you're surrounded and encouraged by genocidal aliens that wanted to only eat and fight. Especially when your entire race has been enslaved by Frieza, an especially genocidal alien that commits war crimes to pass time. No one could say I didn't give it my best shot, though.
1. Going Native

I uploaded this on an old account that I don't use anymore on accident. Reposted so everything is where it should be. Sorry for the mistake.

* * *

I have become a test tube baby. Quite an accomplishment for a teenager and all it took was getting my brains splattered on the front bumper of Truck-kun, the isenski protagonist hunter, so I could be transferred into a fictional universe. Not really sure if everyone that was killed in a hit and run got the same treatment, but it was certainly the case for me.

My eyes flickered open, having long since gotten used to the goop that left me suspended in a large tank. A mask covered my face, feeding me oxygen while another mask covered my lower body to serve less pleasant purposes, though it had a hole for my tail to slip through. Neither left me with a lot of room to maneuver, too far one way and the hose that connected both of them to a filtration system would go taut.

A light orange haze filled my vision, but I could still see through the goop. The room around me remained unchanged since the...weeks…months...maybe even years since I found myself here. My tank was on the highest platform of three, with me being the only tank while the second had about twelve and the bottom had fifty.

The goop changed again. It started off as a dark blue, then it went through several shades of green, then yellow and now it was dipping into the oranges. What it meant, I didn't have the faintest — if I had to guess it was some kind of a development cycle.

I hope it means I get out soon. I closed my eyes, having seared every detail of my surroundings into my brain ages ago. There was nothing there that could help me get out and my attempts to escape were all met with failure. I could only wait to be released. So, for what felt like ages, I waited.

A sigh escaped me as I drifted off, finding that sweet spot between consciousness and sleep that helped pass the time. My mind cleared, long since clear of turbulent thoughts about my death and resurrection. That had taken some time, but it was what it was. I couldn't do anything about it anymore, so there wasn't a point of dwelling on it.

Time passed. Minutes, hours, or days - I had no way of knowing. My meditation was only broken up by brief resurgences of conscious thought, each time noting that I was still alone in a tank. Each time, I drifted back into myself, thinking of nothing or latching onto a random thought and thinking it to death.

I'm an alien. I didn't feel like an alien, except for the tail. I looked too human. My body was that of a toddler, somewhere around two years old or so - stubby arms and legs, too small hands and feet attached to them...everything was too small. My hair was weirdly static, but from what I could see of a single long lock that brushed against my forehead, it was a normal black color.

The few people that I saw since finding myself in this new body also looked human except for the tails and gravity-defying hair.

I'm a self-insert. Self-insert stories were always a guilty pleasure of mine simply because, at their core, they were little more than self-indulgent power fantasies. Some of them hid that fact better than others, but it was a fact. After all, what was the point of writing a self-insert in a favored setting only to be a dishwasher?

I never expected to become one though, and now that I was, I couldn't help but wonder just how exactly it worked. I could accept some infinitely powerful being did it for any number of reasons, from boredom to malevolence. That wasn't what I questioned — just how did I find myself into a new body? When it came right down to it a person, who they were and their memories, were little more than jolts of electricity firing off between synapses in the brain.

Did my brain get teleported into this new body? Did it grow into an exact replica? Or were my memories and personality just downloaded into it? Or, maybe, there was another factor to it? My soul, or something, made the trip? Because that raised a lot of questions that religious figures had been debating for thousands of years, most of them much smarter than me, and they still haven't found an answer.

Then there was the whole can of worms of was this me really me. Was I-

My thoughts were interrupted by a harsh rap against the thick glass of my tank. My eyes snapped open, ignoring a pang of irritation in favor of pinning a glare at the source. To my surprise, though I guess it really shouldn't be, it was a little boy pounding at the glass with a scowl so entrenched on his face it was like it was stuck like that.

"I demand that you awake this instant!" The child snapped, pounding on the glass for emphasis. I just stared at him for a moment, struck by how familiar he looked. His hair was spiked upwards in long, thick, locks that tapered off into a point, revealing a deep widow's peak. His almond-shaped eyes were just as black as his hair, so much so that I couldn't tell the difference between his pupil and the iris. Strong jaw leading to a stubborn chin, thin lips pressed into a thin line and a small nose.

Vegeta? He was maybe six or seven, but no older than that. He wore white and gold Frieza-Force armor, a skin-tight blue undersuit, only it had a red symbol on the left pectoral area and a thick red cape draped off the shoulder pads.

"Hmph. Finally," Vegeta muttered, squinting up at me. His gaze was judging and, after a few moments of him staring at me, it was clear that I was found lacking. "I don't know why my father is bothering with you. He already has an heir." He might be young, but he had already mastered sneering. He looked at me like I was something that he scraped off his boot.

Naturally, I flipped him off. I couldn't exactly speak with the mask over my face. Unfortunately, the middle finger didn't seem to mean anything to saiyans because he just sneered so hard I was almost worried he'd pull something.

"You can't even make a fist," Vegeta observed, crossing his arms over his chest and- woah. Young he might be but he was properly swol. Muscle clung to his arms, straining against the undersuit so badly I could see every line. Yeah, he could definitely take me in a fight. In my previous body too. "You're pathetic."

What a jerk. I knew kids were mean, but this was a little much. My eyes narrowed into slits, glaring at the punk, and, oddly enough, that got a crooked smirk from him.

"That angers you, does it? I suppose you may be a saiyan after all," Vegeta said so smugly it was a wonder how he managed to fit is massive ego in the room. And what's with this kid taunting me? He had absolutely no idea that I wasn't just some toddler in a test tube - that meant he thought he was just taunting a baby for...what? What was his goal here?

"If only barely," Vegeta continued as if realizing that his words sounded too much like a compliment. "A power level of 15...what a bad joke. I was 350 at this point."

Ah. The eldest child feeling jealous of the attention the youngest was getting. Which was worrying because I haven't even seen my father or mother as far as I was aware. Apparently, they were taking absentee parenting to a whole new level. No, wait, saiyans didn't do families. Not the same way that humans did.

Parents and siblings were acknowledged to track lineage, not out of familial bonds. Two saiyans banged, if the woman decided that the male was strong enough to produce worthy offspring, then she would take the fertilized egg and dump it into an incubation tank like I was in. More often than not, the male wouldn't even realize that he had a child until they ran into a kid that looked just like them.

Saiyan parents didn't care. They weren't expected to.

Children were carried in an artificial womb, so there was none of that paternal instinct from the mother's side. For humans, a baby literally grew inside them, making all kinds of hormones fire off in their brains to convince them that they loved the baby and it was totally worth all the suffering and pain to bring the baby into the world. Saiyan mothers just didn't have that connection. They just put the kid in a tank before dropping them off for the caretakers to deal with for the next three years.

After those three years were up, provided that the baby wasn't deemed too weak and sent off to a distant planet to wipe all life out, thus proving they were worthy to be called a saiyan...the baby would be given a patron that would put them through brutal training so horrible that Spartans would jump out of their seats in shock until they reached an appropriate power level or they reached the age of ten. Or, you know, they died. Or, of course-

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. How in the hell did I know all of that? Or how did I know his name even though he never gave it? Or why wasn't I surprised that he was my older brother?

"Why are you scrunching your face up like that? Are you going to cry?! Stop this instant! You are a saiyan prince, and princes don't cry!" Vegeta snapped, banging the tank for emphasis as he barked his orders. His face didn't match his words or actions, his eyes were wide and filled with panic. It was like a bomb was going to go off instead of a toddler crying...though, I guess that's not too far off the mark.

I thought about crying just to spite him, only to discard the idea a moment later. I loved drama class in high school, but I knew I was bad at it. My resting-bitch-face syndrome made faking expressions hard, and my deep voice didn't help with conveying emotion. Certainly didn't help that I was a spastic bundle of anxiety and frayed nerves at the time, either. So, faking crying was well beyond my abilities at the best of times.

Pointedly ignoring him, I wondered to myself at the sudden burst of new-found knowledge. I-

"Don't you dare ignore me! I am Vegeta, Prince of all saiyans and I will not be ignored!" Vegeta proclaimed, slamming his fist on the tank again. I swear, the first thing I do when I get out of here was free every fish in every aquarium in the galaxy. And, considering he earned my undivided attention in the form of a glare, he wasn't exactly wrong.

"Vegeta!" A harsh voice barked, making Vegeta go rigid before he snapped to attention. With well-practiced ease, he turned on his heel and bowed so low he practically was bending over. Even his tail went low, a complete submission.

I looked at the new guy as he confidently strode into the room like he owned the place, which, well, he kinda did. He was a dead ringer for Vegeta, only much older with a thick black goatee around his mouth. He stood at five something, the shortest of the three people that followed him, but he was unmistakably their leader. Our leader.

King Vegeta. The king of the saiyans by virtue of being the strongest saiyan alive.

My father.

"You missed your training to gawk at your brother." King Vegeta observed, his voice cold enough to refreeze the arctic poles. Vegeta went rigid as if our father wouldn't notice him if he was perfectly still. And he was perfectly still, enough so that I spared a worry that his heart gave out on him out of fright.

"I'm sorry, my king." Vegeta rushed out, not looking up. "I…"

"Speak," King Vegeta ordered, coming to a stop a few feet from the two of us. He crossed his arms over his chest, showing off chiseled muscle. While not as big as the bodybuilder behind him that looked at Vegeta with far too much amusement, he still looked like he could break me over his knee.

"I-I wanted to know why you decided to have another son," Vegeta forced out in a rush, daring to glance up, only for his gaze to return to the floor when he met eyes with our father. I could see a bead of sweat form on the back of his neck. No kid should have to be this nervous just speaking with their father.

"You wanted to know if you were being replaced," King Vegeta corrected. Vegeta's flinch all but confirmed it. The king looked down at him for a long moment, seconds felt like hours before he made a dismissive sound. "You are my heir Vegeta. The only things that can change that are your death or disgracement."

Vegeta looked up sharply, and even though I could only see the back of his head, I didn't need to see his face to know that he wore a shocked expression. That was made clear enough when King Vegeta's narrowed dangerously.

"Control your emotions," he ordered with easy authority. He strode past his elder son, coming to a stop directly in front of me. His gaze roamed me for a moment, silently judging much like Vegeta had. His expression might as well be made of granite for all the emotion it showed, or ice for just how coldly he analyzed me before his gaze snapped to mine. He silently stared a hole through my skull, and silently came to a conclusion. "To answer your question; he is a spare. You're mother thought it prudent given the...favor that Frieza has shown you."

"Should I try to lose it?" Vegeta asked and his father didn't so much as blink.

"No. You are my son, you will never have to swallow your pride in the face of that creature," King Vegeta said, a sneer in his voice even if his face didn't so much as twitch. However, his gaze darted down at his son, who didn't dare to look up at him, and I would swear his frozen expression warmed ever so slightly. "You will be King Vegeta one day, perhaps the greatest of us all. Accept and conquer any challenge Frieza gives you. Let the trash in the Frieza Force know why they should fear you."

Vegeta looked reassured by his words and it was obvious why.

Saiyans didn't have families. Our culture developed in a way that did away with the idea of family bonds with the use of incubation tanks and our warrior ways. But love didn't care about what you should feel. As stunted as it was, that's what passed between Vegeta and his father.

When King Vegeta turned to me, his gaze hardened, making it clear that he hadn't made room in his heart for me yet. "That being said, I believe I may have to impregnate your mother again for a proper spare." If he ever would. "He's strong enough to avoid an infiltration mission, but I will not allow a low-class saiyan of my blood."

My blood ran cold in my veins as I stared into King Vegeta's eyes and it became all too clear what he meant by that.

Murder. If I wasn't up to snuff, he would...well, he'd snuff me out.

All of a sudden, the tank didn't seem so bad.

"Nappa," King Vegeta barked suddenly, making the massive man stand a bit straighter inattention. Now that I wasn't memorized by my father and actually gave him a look. He was built like a bodybuilder, making his already impressive height that much more intimidating. A jaw so squared it could be used to measure perfect angels, a thin mustache, black eyes, and shortish black hair, though the sides of his head were bare.

"My king?"

"Make sure that Vegeta makes up for the time he wasted." King Vegeta ordered, earning shallow bows from both Nappa and his son.

"Of course, my king."

"I'll more than make up for it," Vegeta swore, getting a curt nod of approval. Taking that as a dismissal, both of them turned on a heel before marching away. As they approached the door, waited for Vegeta to look back at me, or something, but the bulkhead door slid behind them with a hiss without so much as a glance in my direction.

"Thyme," King Vegeta spoke again, bringing my attention to the other man that walked in with King Vegeta. An elderly man that wasn't treated kindly by time. His hair was gone at the top, what clung to the sides was a stark gray. Deep wrinkles ran across his forehead, tugging at the corners of his eyes and around his mouth. He might have been tall a long time ago, but now he stood with a slight hunch.

"What can I do for you, my king?" Thyme asked, his voice strong despite his appearance. It belonged to someone decades younger than what he appeared.

"How fares his education?" He asked, and I struggled to keep my expression blank. I didn't manage it, but the mask covering most of it helped a lot.

Education? What education? I just float around in this tank for...I don't even want to know how long.

"Extremely well! He's already gone through the basic lessons, and he's well into the advanced." Again, what lessons was he talking about? I couldn't recall getting a single lesson from anyone since I got here. "His brain his very developed, it just soaks up information like a sponge."

What? What did that mean? A sense of unease filled me, my lips pressing into a thin line. It only took a moment to puzzle out what he meant, once I realized what other options there were. Either he was lying, or they were doing something to my brain. Considering I knew a whole bunch about saiyan culture, the truffle war, and important figures during it, it was clear which one it was.

They were downloading information into my brain.

"Hm. Expand the scope of his education, then. He still has some time before he's done incubating." King Vegeta ordered, getting a shallow bow that he couldn't see before Thyme walked over to a computer and started typing away.

"Any particular field in general?"

"The Reach. Frieza is provoking them into a war," King Vegeta answered, as he just stared at me. I stared right back, afraid to so much as blink.

"If I might ask my king, why are we going to war with the Reach? As far as I knew, things between the Trade Organization and the Reach were great." The old man commented, sounding nonplussed that we were going to war with the closest thing the Trade Organization had to an ally.

The Trade Organization, lead under King Cold and now Frieza, enjoyed a very profitable relationship with the Reach, a large empire that stretched over nearly 5% of the galaxy. Part of that was because of its own expansion methods, but it wouldn't be wrong to say that the main reason was its habit of buying premium planets from the Trade Organization.

It was hard to imagine that either side would want to end the relationship. Especially when it made the Reach extremely powerful and the Trade Organization extremely rich.

"Frieza took over," King Vegeta replied with a scoff. "I can't claim to understand what is going through that little monsters head, but apparently he was offended by something or another and caused a diplomatic incident. Regardless, relations have soured between them and I was...ordered...to prepare for war."

The old man nodded his head, a slight smile of all things playing at his lips. "So it won't be a minor skirmish. Good. I always wanted to fight in an intergalactic war at least once before these old bones give out on me." Thyme noted with some humor. "With any luck, Frieza will lift our population cap for it. It'll be a long war."

"Anticipated wars always are and it's a possibility I've brought up with him. He said he would consider it," King Vegeta agreed easily, a grimace passing over his expression for a split second. "The Reach is a vast empire, and with other meddling flies buzzing around, he will need every soldier he can get. And saiyans are worth at least ten of every other pathetic species in his army."

"Ah. The lanterns, then?" Lanterns…? I didn't remember anything about them either.

"I expect so. They want to check Frieza's power while it's still early in his reign, especially when they made that mistake with King Cold. The Reach's as well, though I suppose it's more likely they'll wait until we tire ourselves out against each other. Cowards." It was amazing how much hate could be put into a single word. He muttered it like a curse.

"True, true. The Thanagarians have been looking to expand, and doubtlessly Darkseid will use the chance to stir up some trouble. And I've heard rumors about a race of warriors in the Vega system that sound like they would be fun to destroy-"

"Hmph. It's unlikely to expand into a galaxy-spanning war, Thyme." King Vegeta shot down, earning a scowl from the older man. As if he sensed it, King Vegeta smiles ever so slightly. Well, sort of. It was more of a smirk that could have grown into a smile if it wasn't prematurely killed by his usual smoldering expression.

"I know, but a man can dream. Annnd, there, his next batch of lessons will be starting shortly." Thyme said with some flourish, getting a grunt from King Vegeta.

"Good. We've wasted enough time here." King Vegeta announced, turning around and walking away without a second look, much like his son did minutes earlier. "The war may be years off, but it's going to be a long one and we must prepare."

"Very well, my king." Thyme agreed, pressing a final button and the filtration systems hummed with life in response. I looked around sharply, trying to figure out what was going on, only for exhaustion to hit me over the head like a brick. Without any warning, my eyelids seemed impossibly heavy, my thoughts becoming fuzzy as if my head was full of cotton.

I struggled against sleep for no real reason other than spite long enough for Thyme to notice as he followed my father out of the room. Out of everyone, he was the only one to glance over his shoulder at me as he exited the room.

A crooked grin found its way onto his face - it would have looked creepy if it weren't for the look in his eyes. Amusement danced in them, like he was looking at a particularly stupid animal that managed to be cute instead of irritating. I glowered back in response, only making his smile grow a fraction.

"He's going to be a warrior, that boy." Thyme observed, falling in step with my father as they exited the room. The heavy bulkhead doors slid up with little sound.

"If he survives," King Vegeta dismissed, stepping through them.

"Ah, well, if you're worried about then-" Whatever Thyme had to say was lost to me when the doors slid shut behind them.

I lost the battle against sleep not long after, knowing deep down in my gut that I wasn't going to like it when I woke up.

* * *

**This is a light fusion of universes. The only thing taken from the DB universe is the saiyan race and the things that directly influenced them. So, that means Frieza and the Frieza-Force are a thing, but for the most part, things remain unchanged in the DC universe because Frieza isn't peerless when it comes to strength. That's it though. No kamis, kais, Beerus, Zeno, or namekians, thus no dragonballs.**

**I know that's going to turn some people off of the story, but a full blend of universes always feel like too much to me when I read them, That, and I'm not confident I could make the blend work without stretching peoples SOD to the point of breaking.**


	2. Taste of Defeat

**Updates won't always be this fast to avoid burning through my backlog of chapters, but I'm making an exception for all the support I've gotten and because I finished another chapter. **

* * *

Months passed by in a blur, my life largely unchanged after a visit from the royal family. My tank steadily darkened to a deep red was the only method of measuring the time. My life was largely unchanged, not counting that I became increasingly aware of knowledge appearing in my brain at random. That and the sense of foreboding that filled me with each passing day, knowing that my time in the gestation tank was nearing its end-

I woke with a start, returning to consciousness with a jerk, as my eyes snapped open to see bubbles from the bottom of my tank washed over me.

"-draining now," a voice announced next to me and only then did I become aware of the two men standing next to my tank. I hardly had time to get a good look at them because, true to his word, the tank began draining not a moment later. The goop drifted down rapidly, going into the bottom half beneath my tank, and before sleep had cleared from my brain I sat at the bottom of the tank free of the goop for the first time in what must be years.

My mask hooked free before I hit the bottom, leaving me tenderly touching my face in confusion. I was with it for so long that it felt odd to be without it now. The bottom half remained, weighing me down, but the hose disconnected. I was free. Well, I was when the thick glass began sliding upwards until I was truly free of the tank.

"He's not crying. That's a promising sign," A woman's voice noted, prompting me to look up at her. It was impossible to tell a saiyans age after they hit twenty until they exited their prime, so she was somewhere in that range. Much like every saiyan, she had a strong jaw that lead to a stubborn chin, black eyes, high cheekbones, and her hair defied gravity. Short up top and on the sides that collected into a dozen or so spikes that swooped back, all except for a cowlick that drifted in front of her eyes.

"I suppose," King Vegeta allowed, seemingly unimpressed. A small smirk found its way onto her face, a mischievous glint in her eyes clear for all to see.

"He's doing better than Vegeta. I've never heard a baby cry so much right out the tan-"

"I did not cry!" Vegeta snapped, announcing his presence. He stood in front of the royal couple, a king and his queen, and glared with all his might up at his mother. "Saiyans don't cry!"

"Oh? So you remember coming out of the pod?"

"Yes!"

"You wouldn't be lying right now, are you?"

"N-no…"

"Hmmmmmmm." Oddly enough, I don't think Queen...Teach believed him. And I had some trouble believing that Vegeta might be a momma's boy. "Well, I must be remembering things differently then. Because I nearly threw you back into the thing you were making so much noise."

She reached out faster than I could blink and ruffled Vegeta's hair so hard that I was honestly shocked that he wasn't left bald by the time she was done. Once she finished tormenting her son, she walked over with utter confidence that I barely had time to admire before she crossed the room.

"What's his power level again?" She asked, leaning over so she could look me in the eyes. Not know what else to do, I stared right back as I leaned away because she had no concept of personal space. It didn't really change anything since she just leaned closer.

"16, my queen."

"Ah, a little weakling then," she observed, lashing out with a hand and pinching my cheek. I grabbed her hand, trying to pull myself out of her grip, only to fail since it was like iron. She let out a huff of amusement at my feeble attempts to escape.

"Let go!" I whined, and, just like that, she did. Without her holding me in place, I nearly threw myself off the tank. Quick reflexes on my part saved me from falling, probably saving my life in the process. Rubbing pain out of my cheek, I glare up at the woman to see that her eyebrows would be disappearing into her hairline if they rose any higher.

"You can talk already?" She questioned, sounding shocked. Why...ah. Right. I'm a toddler. Kinda forgot about that.

Looking back at her cautiously, my mind raced and I quickly came to the conclusion that acting like I hadn't spoken was pointless. Might as well double down. "Yes?" I tried, not needing to fake the hesitancy in my voice.

"Huh," Queen Teach muttered, frowning in thought as she leaned back. "Well, that was fast."

"I did say his brain was rather developed, but I will admit that I didn't expect this," Thyme pitched in from his position at the console, likely going over some last-minute readings or something. He paused what he was doing to give me a soul-searching stare that I stubbornly refused to meet. "I noticed that he absorbed knowledge quite quickly, but to process it...hm."

"Well, since I don't think being a warrior is going to work out for you-" Her lips twitched as I gave her the dullest stare I could muster. "There's always the working-class. We don't-"

King Vegeta stepped forward, making Queen Teach pause, "He will be a warrior. Or nothing." He declared, looking down me. Despite his harsh words, it was easy to see that he wasn't...displeased. He looked like the kind of macho guy that wouldn't know what happiness looked like if it hit him, but he didn't seem particularly unhappy. So, I had that going for me.

Though, the working-class sounded a lot better to me. It was made up of the saiyans that were strong enough to avoid an infiltration mission, but by the time they reach ten years of age weren't strong enough to become a warrior. They were further divided into three classes: Scientists, Caretakers, and Mechanics. The first figured out how alien tech we picked up on missions worked, the second took care of domestic problems and food production while the last built and fixed-

"Then he's going to be a little corpse," Queen Teach dismissed. "He's a trash tier weakling. Putting him against saibamen, ah, well, I have things to do today. Just clean up the mess when you're done, 'Kay?" She requested, pinching my cheek again, only this time I was too stunned to try to stop her.

I mean...she probably wasn't wrong, but...wow. That was...blunt. I was too stunned to get mad, leaving me staring up at her as she gave me a smile that could be mistaken for kind.

"I'll have a servant take care of it," King Vegeta agreed with a nod.

"A true shame. I suppose it was too much to hope that a prince could join the Scientists." Thyme pitched, earning a dull stare from me, my cheek stretching painfully. He returned it with an unrepentant shrug before turning his attention back to the graphs. Slowly, I looked back to Queen Teach, noting that her amused look reminded me of a cat's when toying with a cornered mouse.

"The testing ground and saibamen are being prepped. Thyme, dress Tarble and bring him there," King Vegeta commanded with the ease of someone used to being obeyed. With a dramatic turn, his red cape fluttered out, he turned to leave the chamber, a hand guiding Vegeta forward. Neither of them looked back.

"As you command, my king," Thyme said, bowing at King Vegeta's back.

"I'll head out too, I suppose." Queen Teach stated, letting go of my cheek, a huff escaping her when I tried to rub away the pain. Her hand blurred, I only realized that it had moved when I felt her poke me in the cheek. I tried to swat her hand away, just for it to move out of the way and poke my other cheek. "Heh, I guess Veg was right, you do have some fight in you. Maybe I will stick around for your test. Good luck! You'll need it."

With that, she turned on her heel and started walking away, her tail swishing back and forth as she whistled a tune. When the doors slid closed behind her, she sent me a cheeky grin through the crack before vanishing from sight. I stared at the door for a long moment, a sinking realization settled in.

Saibamen were a plant species native to a planet long since forgotten by time. Mostly because no saiyan bothered to remember the name after we sold it. They were often used for training of young saiyans. Their power level ranged from about 500 - 1000+. Mine was 16. Best case scenario, I'm fighting something roughly 30 times stronger than me. All things considered, I had my doubts I would be experiencing that best-case scenario. No, my bet was that I was going to be experiencing a lot of pain as I die. Horribly.

"No time for dallying little one! Up, up, up!" Thyme urged, grabbing a blue outfit from somewhere and throwing it in my direction. I caught it, inspecting the stretchy material that reminded me of spandex. It was a royal blue one-piece that looked like it was a size too small. It was going to be a tight fit.

Shrugging off my discomfort, I stood up for the first time in years. My legs were a little wobbly, but I managed to stand upright easy enough. The metal diaper wrapped around my lower half slid off with some effort. Once it was off, I was proven right that the one-piece being a tight fit. It clung to me, the sleeves stopping mid-shoulder while the legs stopped mid-thigh. It didn't restrict my movement, thankfully. With that done, I hopped off my tank, landing on my feet, and looked up at Thyme to see him giving a measuring look.

Right. Toddler. Spent three years in a tank. I'm really bad at this.

"Hm. A low maintenance toddler. Interesting…" Thyme muttered to himself, hastily scribbling a note that I couldn't read before stepping towards me. "Let's not keep your parents waiting! This way!" He yelled, marching towards the door with exaggerated cheer. Or maybe it wasn't. Thyme struck me as the kind of guy that went his own pace.

I watched him walk away for a moment, unable to shake off a disturbing thought. I...was probably about to die. I was about to be put into a life or death struggle against a creature so much stronger than me it might as well be a god. My hope for victory was...nonexistent. Queen Teach might have been a little blunt about it, but she wasn't wrong. I might as well be a corpse with a heartbeat.

Yet, my heart steadily beat in my chest instead of slamming away at my ribs like it was trying to escape. My breathing was even, not so much as a drop of nervous sweat...I was calm. Way, way, way too calm for someone walking towards their death.

I always hoped I would greet Death with grace, but I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn't. At least I thought I did. I guess not all surprises were bad?

"What are you waiting for? Come along," Thyme chided, opening the door. My feet moved of their own will, carrying me towards him with a gait filled with confidence that I didn't feel. I followed him through the door, taking in my new surroundings as we walked. It was a generic-looking hallway, nothing special about it other than the fact it wasn't the four walls that I've been staring at for years. We didn't walk past a single soul as we traveled from hallway to hallway, cutting through rooms, doubling back to the room we just left-

"Um," I spoke up, eyeing a sign that we passed at least three times. "Are...we lost?"

Thyme didn't answer, choosing to ignore me as he took a right down the hallway, only to second guess himself a split second later and went left. I didn't follow, recognizing that we just came from that hallway a minute ago. It took him until the end of the hallway to realize I wasn't right behind him. "Tarble! What are you doing?"

"Are we lost?" I repeated, cocking my head when a low flush raised to his cheeks. Yeah, we were lost.

"No," Thyme lied through his teeth, looking anywhere but at me. "We're just, ah, taking a scenic route. Figured you could use the practice moving about," he nodded to himself, looking very pleased with his own bullshit.

I stared at him, his eyes drifted to mine only to dart away. I continued to stare, and again his gaze briefly met mine before quickly looking away. I kept staring at him, the third time his gaze met mine his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"We're lost. I never used the training room much, I'm a Caretaker! I need to walk a path at least ten times before I remember how to get there!" He defended himself, grimacing slightly when he remembered that I was a toddler. His cheeks turned bright pink as he walked back towards me, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Ignoring his excuses, I looked for a clue on where we were. I found one - a number and a squiggle that I recognized as a letter. Right. I knew the saiyan language. Weird. It said 3-D.

"Do you know where the training ground is?" I asked, earning a small nod and a narrow-eyed look from Thyme.

"5-A! I've never been there in my life! Royal training area only," he explained, trying to salvage his dignity. I didn't make it easy for him with a bewildered look. We weren't even on the right floor. He coughed into his hand, looking away again and a sigh escaped me.

"Just...follow me," I grumbled, recalling a stairway some turns away. This time, Thyme followed me obediently. We walked up a few sets of stairs, stumbled our way through more unfamiliar hallways until-

My thoughts were interrupted when I walked right into a solid wall that came out of nowhere hard enough I stumbled back. Blinking in surprise, I saw that the wall was a person. Vegeta. He looked down at me with a sneer - it might have just been the angle, but I'm pretty sure he was tilting his head back to look down at me more - with his arms crossed. He really was the spitting image of King Vegeta.

"You kept us waiting. Heh. Father and I thought you might have run away with your tail tucked between your legs," Vegeta stated, smugness radiating out of every pore while arrogance practically dripped from his words. My eyes narrowed reflexively, sudden anger burning in my chest as my hands curled into fists.

Vegeta just smirked, while Thyme hastily offered an explanation. "My apologies, my prince! It took some time to get him ready." He blurted, pointedly ignoring my stunned look. Really? Really?

"It doesn't matter. Father and Mother are waiting," Vegeta informed, dramatically turning on his heel much like King Vegeta did earlier, effectively cutting off my chance to call Thyme on his lies. He nudged me forward, getting me to move forward as Vegeta lead us through a set of bulkhead doors.

Inside was a large room with dull metal walls and dull tiled metal floors. King Vegeta and Queen Teach stood in the center, the latter looking like she was trying to goad the former into doing something with her lips pulled into a cheeky grin. King Vegeta was quick to break away when we entered, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Tarble, this will be your room," King Vegeta informed, gesturing to the dull room lacking in a bed or anything most people would associate with a room. "And these will be your training partners," he continued, gesturing to another door that slides open on cue. Three creatures stepped through, herded by another saiyan. They looked around hesitantly, as if they expected a blow to land at any moment, then their eyes settled on me.

They had a dark green segmented torso covered in armor-like plates, leaving their lighter green skin bare, revealing dozens of black rings marked their arms and legs. Their claws were tipped with three razor-sharp points, the same for their feet. They looked evil with dark red eyes, elongated heads, and dark veins standing out on their lighter skin.

"Take this scouter," King Vegeta said, tossing an earpiece with a plane of plastic jutting out of it. I caught it with the minimum amount of fumbling. "It is...a gift from Frieza. I trust you know who that is?" He asked, earning a hesitant nod from me.

Lord Frieza, the new overlord of the Cold Force, now known as the Frieza Force, with the retirement of King Cold. A few years ago, roughly around the time I was put in the gestation tank, he inherited ownership of the saiyan race. In the first meeting, he murdered four saiyans and humiliated King Vegeta. That more or less set the tone for our relationship.

"Good. These scouters are an invaluable resource that can quantify an opponent's power level. Use it on the saibamen," King Vegeta ordered. I put the scouter on, it stuck around my ear before pressing the power button. Immediately, lines of text covered the screen, highlighting the four figures before me.

750, 1,200, 1,800, 4,300. The first three belonged to the saibamen, while the least belonged to a large saiyan, who leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. He smirked when he saw my expression over his power level.

"Your goal is to kill them," King Vegeta informed, getting a dumbfounded stare from me. I knew it was coming. I came here expecting exactly this, and yet it still caught me off guard. It wasn't just one. I couldn't even hope to beat one saibaman, but three of them? Each stronger than the last? "You have one year to complete this task. Should you fail, you will be banished from planet Vegeta."

Oh. They didn't expect me to kill all three of them right now? That was...well, I would say it made my odds better but they were still nonexistent.

Queen Teach let out a huff, rolling her eyes so hard they could have fallen out of her head. "Butttttt, if you do manage it, somehow, then you'll be well on your way to becoming mid-class. Gotta admit, can't say I envy you, little guy. Not everyone is as talented as little Veg," she commented, laughing at the sound of Vegeta's grinding teeth.

"You should be able to do this much," Vegeta bit out, shooting a glare at his mother. "They're the scraps left over from my training for growing too weak." He...reassured? It was kinda hard to tell what he was going for there. He sent a small nod in my direction as if telling me that he fully expected me to just walk over and murder those monsters dead. He was delusional, but I couldn't say it wasn't nice to have at least someone believing in me. Especially when I didn't believe in myself.

13,000, 10,200, 9,030. King Vegeta, Vegeta with Queen Teach bringing up the rear. They were monstrously strong. Beyond comprehension. Killing three saibamen would be a simple task for them. For me, it was asking the impossible. The weakest one was nearly 50 times stronger than me. There was holding out hope in spite of all odds, then there was insanity.

"Okay," I said with a nod, my fears feeling so very distant while my heart began to beat faster out of anticipation instead of fear. My mind and my body were at odds, logic telling me I might as well offer up my neck to get things over with while my body hummed with excitement.

"Good," King Vegeta commended with a smirk. "Food will be delivered when you need it. A healing tank is through that door," he explained, gesturing to the door the saibamen came out of. "They have been instructed not to kill you, but don't test your luck."

Then he stared at me for a long second, seeming to weigh his words before speaking them. He came to a decision a second later. "This is your first challenge to overcome to be deemed worthy of being my son. I will not accept a low-class child, nor a mid-class. If you want to assume your rightful place, then you must rise to the elite-class."

He was asking for the impossible. Something more impossible than the thing he just asked for a minute ago. The only two elite-class saiyans were standing in this room, to raise my pl to over 10,000...I would die long before I came close. It had never been done before, a low-class becoming elite-class. It was almost unheard of for low-class to climb to mid-class.

He fell silent after that explanation, and I felt the weight of his expectations of me. Right alongside the sheer absurdity of his demand to be acknowledged as his son, not to mention how the odds were stacked against me to past this first test.

There was no point in complaining about it, was there? They wouldn't listen and I was too weak to make them. All I could do was…

I strode forward, my hands clenched into fists, my gaze unwavering from the weakest saibaman. It stepped forward, making a series of clicks at its brothers that made them stand back.

Its beady red eyes darted to King Vegeta, then to Vegeta, before settling back on me, probably reminded itself of the consequences of accidentally killing me. Once we reached the center of the room, against all sense of reason, I made the first move. I darted forward with surprising speed, lashing out with a fi-

Something slammed into me hard enough that I slid across the ground and didn't stop until I hit the wall, knocking the breath from me. I kept my eyes open, letting me see what hit me. A wild slash with its right arm that caught me in my unprotected ribs. The pain burned, almost enough to keep me down. Taking the chance when the saibaman glanced again at King Vegeta, as if making sure what it did was okay, I pushed myself back to my feet.

Swaying dangerously, I found my balance thanks to my tail and started walking forward again, nothing driving me other than instinct. Instincts to fight and keep fighting until I won or died.

Despite knowing how dangerous his limbs were, my gaze never wavered from the center of its chest, letting my peripheral vision to keep track of its attacks. Each step was a sharp stab of pain where it hit me, the pain went ignored as I lurched forward, only to pull myself back. The saibaman fell for the feint, attacking with a claw. It blurred towards me, impossibly fast, but I saw it this time. Having expected it, my arm protected my injured side, absorbing-

Even though I was braced for it this time, I still slid across the floor. I stayed on my feet, my arm throbbing with pain where it wasn't numb entirely. Again, it checked with King Vegeta to make sure that it wasn't going to be killed. My breathing became ragged, sweat already building on my brow that dropped into my eyes, unblinking even as they stung.

I had to check to see if my hand was still curled into a fist, the entire left side of me numb. At the very least, it helped with the worsening pain in my ribs. I took the time it gave me to control my breathing, taking deep and even breaths in spite of how much they hurt. When it did turn its attention back to me, it waited for me to approach again, only for me to stay where I was.

It took a cautious step towards me, then another and another. When it became confident that I wasn't going to attack, it rushed forward with reckless abandon, its right arm raised his to strike me again. In my head, I pictured what would happen next. I saw myself deftly moving then countering — in that split second, I saw myself practice the move a thousand times until it became a certainty.

Moving exactly how I saw myself, I ducked low underneath a swipe I could barely follow before I rose. A tightly curled fist lashed out, catching the creature underneath its chin, snapping its jaw shut. In my head, it collapsed to the ground, bright green blood leaking out of its mouth as its eyes rolled back. What actually happened was it recovered from my attack like it hadn't felt it at all before lashing out with a foot that caught me in the stomach.

I shot through the air, crashing against the metal wall hard enough that it dented, before collapsing to the ground clutching at my stomach. Vomit erupted from my mouth and when it tapered off, I saw blood mixed in. The taste of it was heavy on my tongue as I tensed so hard that I trembled, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Well, he got a hit in. To be honest, I didn't really expect that! Good job Tarble!" Queen Teach yelled, clapping in a way that sounded that made it hard to tell if she was being genuine or sarcastic.

"Why are you laying down? Get up!" Vegeta commanded, stomping a foot angrily. He looked like he was about to march over to finish the job before King Vegeta placed a hand on his shoulder.

The elder Vegeta shook his head, "don't interfere. This is Tarble's challenge to overcome." He said, earning a hesitant nod from Vegeta. His gaze never left mine, not so much as acknowledging the saibaman's worried look. I could feel his expectations of me like a physical weight, tossed on top of all the others. They were also the shove I needed to push through the pain and try to stand up. My legs wobbled like a newborn deer, if it weren't for the wall I would have fallen flat on my face.

King Vegeta's face didn't show a hint of approval as he watched. Vegeta, on the other hand, looked furious. "Stop stalling and kill it! Rip that sniveling creature's throat out!" Vegeta...cheered? From how angry he looked, it was hard to tell if he was talking to the saibaman or me.

I wouldn't be able to dodge again. My body was screaming at me to stay down as I drove myself forward, clutching my stomach with one hand. Attacking it with my fists would just end up like last time, dealing no damage and opening myself up for a devastating counterattack. So, what are my options? Laying down and dying was out, leaving me with…

The saibaman shot forward, confident in its victory and lack of punishment. It attacked with the same arm raised high, moving in a blur that I could follow easier this time. A hand whipped out, grabbing its wrist before I turned sharply, using its momentum against it and slammed it into the ground. My attack didn't hurt it, I knew better than to hope for that now, but it stunned the saibaman long enough that I could wrap my arms around its throat in a chokehold.

It squawked while its claws dug into my forearms. I ignored the pain as I squeezed with all my might, gritting my teeth so hard they threatened to shatter. It wasn't enough to stop the monster from getting up, trying to shake me off as it clicked with what sounded like irritation. A claw reached back, trying to grab me that way, but finding no grip with my skin-tight suit.

Biting back a scream when I felt its claws dig into my back, carving long lines up it, my gaze landed on a pointy ear directly in front of me. Leaning forward, I bite down as hard as I could, my teeth felt like they were more likely to break than its skin. The saibaman screeched, the only warning I had before it jumped backward, slamming into a wall with me in between.

It reminded me of getting hit by Truck-kun, only this time I didn't go splat, though it was a near thing. Every bone creaked under the strain, those that didn't break outright. Something in my ribs gave way, the pain becoming unbearable, but even still my grip didn't lessen.

The saibaman hissed in annoyance before slamming into the wall harder this time, metal warping, the back of my head hitting-

Everything went dark for a second and I found myself on the floor. "Wah," I started to mutter, blinking to clear my hazy vision, only for the first thing I saw was a clawed foot heading for my-

* * *

I woke up in goop again. For a split second, I wondered if what happened was all a dream, only for the pain that wracked my body to quickly remind me that it really happened. That, and the tank I found myself in was very different than the one I grew up in. For starters, I could only see through a small round window while everything else was a smooth metal grid with a few buttons around a seal.

A picture of a saiyan body with several parts highlighted, a small line connected to some information, caught my attention. It told me the injuries it was healing. Reading over them got a small wince out of me, leading to a worse wince because of my broken ribs. My arm was also broken, a fairly bad concussion and severe bruising...pretty much everywhere.

"Awake already?" I heard someone ask before a face filled my window. It belonged to the saiyan that brought in the saibamen. "That's surprising. Thought you'd be out for a few more hours." He commented, a soft thump telling me that he leaned heavily against the orb I found myself in.

"...is this the healing tank?" I hazard a guess, inspecting my wounds. They matched up with the picture. The cuts on my arms and back itched, like tiny pinpricks poking at them, so I assumed that whatever this goop did was helping. "And who are you?"

"The names Bardock, a low-class saiyan warrior. And you're caretaker, apparently," Bardock grumbled with a huff I think he didn't know I could hear. He said he was a low-class saiyan, the class that made up most of the saiyan population, but the entry point for mid-class was 5000. 700 points was a lot, but he was close to entering a very exclusive class that only had ten members.

Considering all of that, my babysitter was one of the top fifteen strongest saiyans alive.

"Don't you have better things to do?" I asked hesitantly. Having someone like Bardock babysitting me was a little...wasteful.

"Plenty," Bardock agreed, sounding amused. "But I'm not in a position to tell the king no. So, here I am."

With his power level, it was easy enough to guess why. "To stop the saibamen from killing me?" I hazard a guess, knowing that they weren't domesticated so much as beaten into submission. Without the threat of immediate death, if they go too far, they'd kill me in a heartbeat.

"Got it in one. And I'm supposed to record your progress, yada yada yada - basically, making sure that you're not a hopeless case. If you are, then I get you out of my hair since you'll either be dead or sent on an infiltration mission to toughen you up." The fact that most babies sent on infiltration missions, missions to conquer planets, didn't come back for obvious reasons went unsaid.

So that's how it is, I thought, falling silent at his explanation. He was hoping for me to either die or be inept. Forcing a saiyan to spend time watching me when he could be taking tougher mission to close the gap so he could become a mid-class saiyan was just asking for an unfortunate accident to happen. I couldn't rely on him for anything, much less help - the faster I proved to be a waste of space or die, the faster he got to go back to what he actually wanted to do.

The only person I could rely on is myself. King Vegeta and Queen Teach put me in this situation, so hoping that they would bail me out was beyond stupid. Vegeta acted like he was just as likely to kill me as he was to help me. Thyme already wrote me off…

I could only get out of this situation by dying...wasn't an option. Escaping...also not an option because it was flat out impossible between the saibamen, Bardock, and I would have to get off-planet all as a three-year-old. That just left killing the three saibamen and earning the right to call myself a saiyan warrior. Out of all of them, the latter was most appealing but the former was the most likely outcome.

My eyes closed, I felt myself slip into meditation that I got so used to over the years. The pain melted from my body, leaving me feeling strong. Stronger. When I opened my eyes I saw that I was alone again, the light had gone off in the room, leaving me in darkness. A hand drifted up to the scouter still on my eye, pressing the button and it performed a self-scan.

22\. Better. Not anywhere good enough, but better. 6 points for one bout that I got my butt kicked. However, the next bout...if I got another 6 points, then another 6 and another 6… A galactic standard year was 300 days, if I got at least 6 points each day then my power level would be around 1800, putting me on equal footing with the strongest silberman.

I couldn't blow away the mountain with a single mighty swing, but I could chip away at it until I found myself standing at its peak. It would be long, painful and downright brutal...it was also my only chance of surviving.

Swallowing a sigh, I hit the drainage button. I had a long year ahead of me, so might as well get an early start.


	3. Taste of Victory

I threw a jab, already ducking underneath a counter that I knew was coming. A lime green claw passed through my static hair the same second that my fist collided with the saibaman's face. Unlike two months ago, it felt the blow. It squawked, knocked off balance as blood trickled out of a split lip. Seizing the chance, I followed the attack up with a roundhouse kick that slammed into its side, its arm and body folding around my leg before it flew to the side like a speeding bullet until it came to a sudden stop against a badly damaged metal wall.

Unfortunately, the saibaman shook off any damage, it cackled in a low tone, a mocking chuckle. My eyes narrowed at the unspoken taunt, my fists tightening until my knuckles were bloodless. My blood felt hot in my veins, roaring to throw myself at the monster for underestimating me. Instead, I pulled myself back, settling in a mockery of a fighting stance.

"You're being passive again," Bardock commented through a large slab of barely cooked meat from his position at the door. I paid him no mind, giving the saibaman my full attention. It settled in its usual stance, its arms up like it was about to tackle me and legs bent to rush forward.

I was ready for it when it lunged towards me, crossing the distance between us in a blink of an eye. Just like I expected, it attacked with its right — blocking it would get a counterattack from its legs, dodging that make an opening to appear.

For two months I fought the saibaman every single day that I was able to. In the beginning, my days were fighting the saibaman, almost dying, healing for the rest of the day until tomorrow rolled around. As time went by, each day the fights would last a little longer as my strength grew.

Months later, our bouts were only broken up only by food instead of having to go into the healing tank — I thought my power level would skyrocket. I was getting stronger, faster, better in every single way. Yet, in the past week, my power level only went up a single point. I was stagnating instead of getting stronger. I only had ten months left and I wasn't anywhere close to being able to take on the strongest saibaman-

A leg blurred towards my face, only my quick reflexes managing to save me from getting kicked. I jerked my head to the side, narrowly missing the blow, before countering with an elbow aimed at its face. It's red eyes went wide before my elbow slammed into its forehead. It jerked back, stunned, and opened itself to a kick in its stomach. It flew away from me, skidding to a halt near Bardock, who looked at it like it was something he scraped off his boots.

"You're getting distracted in the middle of a fight. I thought you were passed that," he continued through a mouthful of bone, the crunches seeming to echo in the mostly empty room. My lips pressed into a thin line, knowing he was right but not wanting to agree with him. It was still stronger than me, I couldn't afford to get lost in my thoughts.

Bardock didn't like being ignored, but he liked it less when I responded in the middle of a fight. Learned that the hard way. I didn't respond, settling back into my stance as I waited for the saibaman to come to me.

Over the months, it learned to be cautious instead of rushing in recklessly. I hadn't managed to kill it yet, but I gave more than I received in these recent bouts. After sparing a glance at Bardock, it inched forward with a low growl. One step at a time, lunging every once and a while to bait me into dodging, but I stood firm and waited-

It was only because he stood behind the saibaman that I saw Bardock raise a hand before a beam of light rushed at me. I didn't have time to so much as think of dodging before I found myself on my knees, clutching a freshly wounded shoulder. The ki blast burned through my suit, charring my skin and throbbed with agony.

The saibaman saw its chance and rushed forward, reaching me in a split second. I wasn't in a position to dodge, instead, I tensed and braced myself to take the blow. I shot backward, my eyes on Bardock as I sailed through the air.

Was that it then? The moment I stopped making any progress, he decides to cut his losses and kill me? My downloaded lessons told me that the ideal saiyans were ruthless, self-centered assholes - its wording differed - but experiencing it first hand was something else.

Bardock smirked when he saw my glare, another beam of light racing for me from the tip of his finger. I flipped, moving out of the way of the beam's path-

The saibaman filled my vision a split second before I felt a heavy blow land on my back. I slammed into the floor with a grunt, quickly flipping to my feet in a handspring. Not a second later, the saibaman slammed a claw into the floor where I was. Metal crumpled like tissue paper, it cackling with glee as it yanked its hand out.

I couldn't seize the opportunity to settle in a defensive stance before another beam raced towards me. Dodging out of the way, another one slammed into my side as soon as I got out of harm's way. "Ahh," I cried out despite myself, clutching at my side, feeling hot blood seep in between my fingers.

It wasn't a lethal wound. That would be too obvious. He was weakening me so that the saibaman would finish me off. It would leave a mess when it killed me, hiding most of the evidence and, with King Vegeta's words ringing in my head like a bell, I knew no one would be looking too close to find any subtle evidence of my murder.

The saibaman was on me, attacking at my wounded shoulder that I managed to narrowly dodge. Another claw raced towards my face, leaning out of the way-

Another beam struck my knee. It gave out, letting me duck underneath the saibaman's attack. Out of position, I grabbed its arm and flipped it over my shoulder, using its momentum against it. Expecting another attack from Bardock, I threw myself out of the way, my eyes on him, only to see that the attack never came.

Instead, he lowered his hand, a sigh escaping him. "You fight way too defensively. I haven't seen you take initiative once in two months of babysitting you," he commented, earning a short pointed glare before I was forced to pay attention to the saibaman attacking me. "You pay no mind to your surroundings - in a one on one fight, that's fine. You were doing fine right up until I started distracting you and now look at yourself."

My knee throbbed with agony when I put any weight on it, blood-soaked my side and every time I moved my shoulder made me want to curl up into a ball and just let myself die. Even still, I dodged the saibaman's attacks, bobbing and weaving out of the way, unable to counterattack properly.

"All you do is counterattack. You never make the first move," Bardock continued, his tone careless as he set up my murder, rubbing salt into the wound. He didn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd rub his victim's faces in their failings, but I was wrong. "Even when you have the upper hand, you never follow through. Like that elbow earlier - you could have taken out one of its eyes if you hit it there instead of its forehead."

He was right. It galled me to admit, even if it was only to myself, but he was right. As if sensing my thoughts, Bardock continued to pick apart my abilities.

"Tarble," he said, shocking me enough that I looked over. It was the first time he said my name since I've known him. My shocked look was cut short when a claw lashed out at my face. With no room to dodge, I took the blow on my forehead, hot blood dripping into my eyes where skin tore before I quickly retreated.

"We use saibamen because they're good at teaching the basics. Attack, dodging and so on. They're useful for that much. You've got that down, more or less. So, do you know what your problem is now?" Bardock asked as I narrowly dodged another attack.

"I'm sure you're about to tell me," I remarked, redirecting an attack so it sailed harmlessly away from me.

"Heh. Your problem is that you're afraid of going to the next level," Bardock stated, not an ounce of doubt in his tone. "You just keep on fighting that saibaman, avoiding killing it, so you can pat yourself on the back for not getting your ass kicked. And you want to call yourself a saiyan warrior."

I didn't have a response to that, the words striking home with as much force as any blow I suffered so far. They rang true, in spite of wanting him to be wrong. About everything. I hadn't attacked first once this fight. I didn't seize every opportunity to put an end to the match - the elbow, when I threw it over my shoulder...if I went for the throat if I stomped on its head…

I had chances to kill it and I didn't take any of them.

My doubt must have shown because Bardock continued in a deadly serious tone. "Enough wasting my time. Kill it now." The 'or else' went unsaid, but I heard it all the same.

I came to a stop some feet away from the saibaman. My wounds- I narrowly avoided another beam to my other knee, an attack that would have left me helpless. Turning to Bardock, I saw him stare at me with a deadly serious expression. I wonder how many aliens saw that expression before they died.

"Stop thinking. Use your instincts. Kill it. Now." He commanded, the tip of his finger glowing as he readied another ki blast. He didn't fire it, leaving it as a threat. This time, I knew, it would go through my heart no matter how I tried to dodge.

There was the ultimatum I expected, I thought, gritting my teeth as my eyes narrowed into a glare at Bardock then at the saibaman. With my wounds, victory was all but impossible, and now Bardock could go to King Vegeta saying that he tried but I just wasn't up to the challenge. He put a surprising amount of thought into arranging my murder for a saiyan.

Even still, my hands curled into fists so tight that they trembled. Anger burned in my chest - at Bardock, at the saibaman, at King Vegeta for putting me in this situation and at myself for letting it get this far- No. Enough of that. Enough thinking. If I was going to die...then I refused to die alone.

With my good leg, I launched myself forward, surprising the saibaman if its widening eyes were anything to go by. It reacted by meeting me halfway, lashing out with a claw. I accepted the blow to my stomach, feeling its claws dig into my flesh, it stayed there, stunned at how wildly different I fought, letting me grab its wrist to keep it pinned.

Rearing my head back, I slammed it into the saibaman's forehead and felt it return the blow against my wounded shoulder as it clicked with fury. Swallowing a cry of pain, I pulled my head back and headbutted it again. And again. And another time to be sure. Each time it struck back and each time I accepted the blows. I wasn't in any position to dodge before, and I certainly wasn't now.

Letting out a pain-filled roar, I shoulder checked the saibaman, sticking one leg behind it's so it fell to the ground with me on top of it. It looked up at me dazed, it's large red eyes unfocused as dark green blood dripped from its forehead. I hit it with all my strength, it's head jerking to the side, but that was all the damage I did. I wasn't strong enough to crush its bones with my punches yet.

Then our eyes met, solid black against solid red, and I found my answer. I slammed my fist against its wide eye and felt something give way. My stomach heaved, hot green blood splattering over my cheek, but I swallowed it down. The saibaman beneath me went still, dead.

"Sloppy as all hell, but it'll do. See what you can do when you don't use your head so much? You start acting like a proper saiyan," Bardock stated as I yanked my hand free, rolling off the saibaman to my feet, turning my attention to him. An eyebrow quirked up in response, amusement dancing in his black eyes. "A little early for you to try to take me on, brat. Give it a couple of decades when I'm out of my prime."

Gritting my teeth, I kept my fists raised, watching him step closer with each second. As soon as he entered striking- "Ughhhh…!" I groaned, every muscle going limp the second that his hand wrapped around my tail, giving it a savage yank. "Let...go...scarface…"

"I will soon enough," Bardock answered, carrying me by the tail, my limp legs dragging across the ground. Was this it? Was I about to taste defeat so soon after tasting victory? Without so much as a fight? No. I was a saiyan! A warrior! I would not die without-

My thoughts were interrupted by Bardock letting go of my tail, tossing me into a pod. A door slammed shut behind me, a moment before the pod began filling with water. Drowning me? Did he not- oh. Right. Healing pod. I...kinda got caught up in my thoughts, didn't I?

"I gotta go report this to King Vegeta, so sit tight. I'll be back later," Bardock said, knocking on the healing tank before I saw him walking away. I watched him leave, wondering if I should say something for assuming that he was going to murder me, but decided against it. Mostly because he didn't know so there was technically nothing to apologize for.

I found myself slipping into meditation out of habit, trying to drift off to think about what happened today. Instead, I chose to think of nothing, letting my mind go blank as the healing tank worked its magic. That way, it only felt like it took a moment for my body to heal when it took hours.

With well-practiced ease, I pressed the drain button and got out. Rolling my shoulder, I inspected my side and stomach to see smooth skin. There wasn't even a single scar despite months of life and death struggles against a foe that, until today, was vastly stronger than me.

Even now, I was still weaker than the saibaman. Was I just putting too much stock in power levels? I thought I would have to have a power level of at least 500 to defeat it. Given my condition when I killed it, odds were the gap between us was bigger than it usually was.

"Maybe…" I started, staring through the thick metal door that separated this room from the training room. I could practically feel the other two saibamen on the other side. The strongest saibaman would still be beyond me, but the other would only be twice as strong as me. I could win. I wouldn't, but I could.

With my mind made up, I strode out of what served as my bedroom, to fight my next fight.

* * *

Meeting King Vegeta was daunting as always, Bardock thought walking through wide-open halls of the palace, spotting a large bald man well out of his prime leaning against a door to the throne room. He sported a white beard, his head devoid of any hair with a large X shaped scar covering most of his scalp.

"Matillo," Bardock nodded, not stopping his stride despite the older saiyan making no move to get out of his way. Matillo said nothing, his arms crossed while he watched Bardock approach. His heartbeat started to pick up, an itch that was begging to be scratched for months now suddenly seemed so much worse when he was on a collision course with a mid-class saiyan.

Right when Bardock was about to walk into him, determined to either get into the throne room or start a fight, Matillo finally opened his eyes to look at him. "You're supposed to be babysitting," he observed, his voice rough like gravel.

"He's takin' a nap right now," Bardock answered shortly, smirking when his eyes narrowed dangerously. His tail twitched in anticipation, hands curled into fists, ready to throw the first punch.

"Oh?" Matillo uttered, pushing himself off the door and standing at his full height. He was a head and shoulders taller than Bardock not counting his hair, his power radiating from him, making every hair stand on end. Bardock's smirk turned into a full-blown smile, his blood sang in his veins as his heart started hammering away at his ribs. "Is he going to be waking up from that nap?"

"Who knows?" He hedged with a shrug, letting his power leak out as a silent challenge. Matillo met it, abandoning subtlety entirely. His aura exploded out of him, waves of it crashing over Bardock with enough force he had to take a step back to avoid falling over entirely. Not one to be outdone, he let go of his restraint and went full throttle.

"You're still years of way to be worth scraping off my boots," Matillo drawled, sounding unimpressed. Couldn't blame him for that. He was decades out of his prime and he was still stronger than him. Odds were, he crushed low-ranking trash like him underfoot on his way to bigger and badder game without noticing.

"Maybe," Bardock agreed, cocking his head as he relished in the feeling, a feeling he went without for two months. That moment before a fight, when the tension became almost unbearable. Saiyan warriors lived for that moment just as much as they lived for fighting and Bardock was no different. "How about we find out?"

The tension was ruined by the door behind Matillo cracked open, revealing a slight man with a bushy mustache. He was thin as a twig, no muscle to speak of, while everything else about him screamed that he was a working-class saiyan. He wore Frieza-force style armor, a long hoop covering the back half of his legs. King Vegeta's personal servant. It would explain why he looked so uncaring in the face of two powerful saiyans about to fight.

"King Vegeta will see you, Bardock." He said, bowing a fraction. Instantly, Matillo powered down, letting out an annoyed huff. Without uttering another word, the older saiyan marched forward. This time, Bardock was the one that remained unmoving as he approached.

"We'll continue this later," Bardock swore, stepping out of his way at the last possible second.

"Your funeral," Matillo agreed without sparing a look in his direction.

Bardock watched him go, torn between excitement and disappointment that the fight wouldn't be happening now. He settled with disappointed. He hadn't thrown a single punch in months. Hitting the kid with energy blasts was the closest thing to action that he got since becoming a caretaker.

"King Vegeta is waiting for you," the servant...Spargu reminded with a sweeping gesture. Knowing that keeping the temperamental king waiting was a bad idea, Bardock stepped passed him and entered the throne room. King Vegeta sat on his throne, looking imposing as ever. His expression was impassive, making it impossible to tell if he cared at all about what happened just outside his door.

If he did, then he was a dead man walking. Such was the price when dealing with royal jackasses.

His son, Vegeta, because a king and a planet weren't enough, stood at his side. He took after his father more than his mother, practically a carbon copy of the king right down to the same widows peak and dark red cape. It was downright creepy. Bardock was half sure that he got his hands on some cloning tech and just made a mini-him instead.

"Bardock. I didn't expect to see you so soon. Is the child dead?" King Vegeta drawled, sounding bored as he stared down at him with dull eyes. Young Vegeta did the exact opposite by perking up, suddenly very interested in what he had to say.

"No, my king," Bardock spoke, falling to his knee. "He killed the weakest saibaman earlier and is recovering in the healing pod." Best to leave out how he got that to happen. Tarble would have wasted the year away without the kick he needed. A normal saiyan parent would understand that. King Vegeta wasn't a normal parent by any stretch of the imagination.

King Vegeta's eyes widened a fraction, stunned before a slight smile appeared on his face. His shock swiftly became smugness, his smirk sharp enough to cut. It was like Vegeta and Tarble's accomplishments were his, no matter how pitiful they might be.

"How surprising. I never imagined he would be able to kill one of them, especially not so soon." King Vegeta uttered, "his progress is well beyond my expectations. In truth, I was worried I would have to send the boy off on an infiltration mission, but it seems that he escaped that fate. It would seem that he does have a fighting spirit despite his pitiful power level." He explained despite no one asking.

"Tell me Bardock, how much progress has he made?" King Vegeta continued, leaning back in his chair now that the fate of his son was sealed. It was a common tactic for rearing children - give them an impossible task for them to bash their heads against until one gave way.

It was a good way of further weeding out the warriors from the rest. Power levels weren't everything. Without a drive pushing them forward to the next level, then those saiyans stagnated. Then died, preferably alone without dragging the rest of their team with them.

Or…, Bardock silently added to himself, they join the working-class. Like Gine had.

"His power level was 460 before he killed it. It's probably a little higher now," he answered, savoring King Vegeta's stunned expression. Bardock couldn't blame him for it. He barely believed it and he watched it happen over months, ever vigilant to make sure the brat wasn't killed on accident.

Tarble was a spit in the face of the class system. An anomaly that stood against everything that they were raised to believe - the power level you were born with represented how far you would go in life. Bardock was born at the very edge of being born into the mid-class, so it was accepted and expected that he could one day rise in class. Tarble was born with a pl of 16, and yet, if he had the power level that he did now, he would have been born into the elite-class. Tarble was a freak of nature not just because of how much he grew in strength, but because of how fast as well.

"I see," King Vegeta said, ignoring a look from his kid. Having raised Raditz, Bardock recognized it as an expression kids made when they wanted to say something but knew better. Not that it stopped Raditz. "Children do see some explosive growth, but this is extraordinary. As expected of my progeny."

Bardock nodded, not trusting himself to not make a remark about that. "Despite his growth, I've noticed some problems." He spoke up, listing out the same issues he told Tarble earlier. King Vegeta nodded, looking displeased but he didn't start throwing energy blasts, so that was good. Eventually, he nodded curtly.

"Fix those flaws, Bardock. I will provide another three- no, five saibamen to remedy this." That was a little excessive. If Tarble survived, then that weakness was going to be polished out. "Is that all?"

Bardock shifted where he knelt, words resting heavily on his tongue. Unfortunately, King Vegeta noticed. "Speak," he ordered, his words sounding like a threat.

"Tarble…" How did he say this without getting killed? "Spends too much time in his head. I know he can speak, but he rarely says a word. I got curious about how long he could go without speaking, and he didn't say a word for three weeks. Well, not counting all the screams." Even then, his streak was only broken by muttering a curse when the saibaman started stomping on his legs, breaking them in a dozen places.

"Oh?" King Vegeta uttered, frowning. "Thyme mentioned this might be an issue. It seems he was too advanced mentally in the gestation tank, so it could adversely affect his personality." He explained, sounding like he was quoting the Caretaker instead of speaking his own thoughts. "He wasn't stimulated enough while gestating, stunting certain parts of his brain. I have been assured that it won't interfere with his abilities."

That didn't address the issue, though. "But-" The word escape his mouth before he could think better of it. King Vegeta's gaze turned sharp, his cold anger starting to simmer when Bardock didn't continue.

"You have something to say?" King Vegeta asked, Bardock's eyes closing for a split second as he came to a decision.

"He's not going to be able to function on a team if he stays how he is. He doesn't communicate and he spends too much time in his head." Bardock answered bluntly. Tarble was antisocial by saiyan standards. In the months he watched over the brat, not once did Tarble even try to leave his room. He didn't leave to get extra food from the cafeteria or go outside to see the sun. He just fought, healed, ate and fought some more. His determination was unnerving, to say the least.

Worse, it wasn't entirely his fault. Bardock didn't know when exactly his consciousness clicked into place, but he could have spent years floating in a tank unable to say anything.

That sounded like a nightmare as far as Bardock was concerned. Unable to move, unable to fight, eat or talk for years… It didn't really sink in until he started thinking about it, but he was probably the only other saiyan he spent more than five minutes with. That was...depressing.

"I want to break him out of those habits now before they become too ingrained and cause problems that could get him killed later on," Bardock explained, meeting his sharp gaze. King Vegeta was silent, his son fuming next to him but not speaking, even as he glared bloody murder at Bardock.

"It sounds like you have a suggestion," King Vegeta intoned, his words clipped. Bardock wasn't surprised. It was obvious that he was about to make a play and he guessed King Vegeta got plenty of practice dealing with them as king.

"Put him on a squad. He's strong enough." Bardock replied, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. Everyone won this way. Tarble got to stop getting nearly beaten to death every day and, more importantly, Bardock would be free to go on missions with his team. "Not only will it bring him out of his shell, but it would also be a chance to mold him into a capable leader."

For a long minute, the only sound in the throne room was the sound of King Vegeta tapping his finger. "You make a fair point Bardock," he complimented, raising red flags, seeing the slight smirk on the king's lips those red flags started waving madly. "Thank you for volunteering your squad. As an extremely talented tactician, I'm sure Tarble will be safe in your care while you teach him all that you know."

Bardock clenched his jaw so hard a muscle spasmed as he struggled to push the anger he felt down. He...he should have expected that. He should have expected King Vegeta to shut down any attempt to free himself of the brat so he could get stronger and finally become the eleventh mid-class saiyan. King Vegeta didn't want him to rise in class. That was why he made him, of all people, look after the brat.

"It would be my honor to continue looking after Tarble," Bardock spoke through gritted teeth, his anger must have shown because Young Vegeta sneered at him while his father just looked smug.

"I am pleased to hear it Bardock. You have my utmost faith. However, should Tarble die…" King Vegeta mocked, making Bardock close his eyes briefly, his fist trembling in rage.

"Then I die too." Bardock bit out, having heard the ultimatum once before months ago. Knowing that his audience was at an end, Bardock bowed before walking away, seething with rage. As soon as the heavy doors closed behind him, Bardock slammed a fist against a stone wall, it gave way like sand.

A low growl escaped him as he left the palace and flew back to the Nursery, irritated and frustrated. All the while Bardock thought furiously to himself. He should have just written the brat off as a hopeless weakling and let that be that. King Vegeta understood that you couldn't make talent magically appear - that was why so many weak children were sent to conquer planets, both to rid the saiyan race of deadweight and to find those rare late bloomers.

"Should have lied," Bardock reflected, spotting the training room door. He should have said that the brat didn't have any fighting spirit in him a month ago, then he would be back with his team going on missions, prepping for the war with the Reach. He should have just ignored his curiosity on how exactly Tarble managed to slowly increase his strength each day, only to plateau when he wasn't getting beaten half to death every day.

Bardock was paying for finding the answers he sought. Who knew when he would be able to put his theory into practice?

With a sigh, he opened the door to see...a corpse. No, not a corpse, but a corpse in the making. Two saibamen stomped on Tarble, his legs bent at unnatural angles, a bone sticking out of his arm, laying in a pool of his own blood.

"You!" Bardock snapped, the saibamen jerked in surprise, looking at him with wide fear-filled eyes. They died with that expression when he closed the distance, flipping the kid over to see a battered and bloodied face with closed eyes. They tried to butterfly open, but the swelling was already too bad for him to see through. "I take my eyes off you for one minute!"

Grabbing the idiot by the scruff of his neck, Bardock stomped over to the healing tank, his anger boiling over. "I take it back. You don't think, you little half-tailed moron," he snapped at the unconscious boy, tossing him into the tank and starting the healing process. Watching the tank fill up, he took a glance at his vitals to see that he was going to survive. Probably.

For a long minute, Bardock just stared at the tank, anger slowly dissipating, leaving exhaustion in its place. Dragging a hand down his face, a sigh escaped him. It was clear that his biggest challenge wasn't going to turn this lump of densely condensed stupidity in the shape of a toddler into a saiyan warrior, but stopping said lump of stupid from killing himself.

How did he get out of this? He wanted to go out on missions again, but any that Tarble was qualified to do were so easy Bardock could do them with his eyes closed, hands and tail tied behind his back. Not to mention that his crew would mutiny at the very idea. None of them would grow stronger and any hope of finding a decent fight on those missions was a pipedream.

Bardock stared at the battered and broken brat for a long moment, a plan forming in his head. If the problem was that the missions Tarble qualified for were too boring, then the obvious solution was to bring him on missions that Bardock's team would want to go on. Then the only issue was making sure that Tarble didn't die, which was a pain, but he preferred it to not going on missions at all.

A smile threatened to tug at Bardock's lips, only to fall a second later when he continued to look at the mostly dead kid.

"This...is going to be harder than I thought."


	4. Taste of Freedom

Bardock was trying to kill me. I was wrong before. I was wrong about being wrong about him. He was definitely, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, trying to murder me. He might have saved my life a month ago from my own stupidity and arrogance, but I'm pretty sure it was only because he wanted the pleasure of killing me himself.

Why else would he show up with five saibamen and tell me to fight them all at once?

"Ugh," a grunt escaped me, blocking an attack from Stumpy, the shortest of the five saibamen. Reacting instantly, I grabbed its wrist, spinning sharply to throw it into Speedy, another saibaman that was much faster than the others. The two collided, falling to the ground in a heap. Dashing forward to seize the opportunity, I raised my foot to stomp on one of their necks, only to be blindsided from an attack to the right.

Another blow landed on my side, catching my already bruised ribs, and throwing me off course. I recovered in time to duck underneath another attack from Stretch, an unusually tall saibaman and planted my fist in its stomach. Using its height to my advantage, I jumped up as it folded over involuntarily, slamming the top of my head into its jaw. Pieces of broken fangs flew free, shattered by the force, it stumbled back, clutching at its ruined teeth in pain.

The sound of velcro, or rather a sound that reminded me of it, came from my right. Reacting on instinct, I threw myself back in time to see clear fluid splatter over Stretch and where I stood. Steam came up from the floor, pockmarks forming underneath a powerful acid. Unfortunately, Stretch was fine, his biology rendering the acid useless against him.

Touching down, I rushed towards the scrambling saibamen, intent on putting one of them out of the fight only to be cut off again, this time by a ki blast. An orb of yellow ki raced by me, nearly colliding with my head if I hadn't tilted it out of the way. Still going forward, I was forced to change target, instead of going for the closest one. I threw a knee at Speedy's face, it slammed into its eye, dark blood spurting out as it roared in pain.

Another ki blast forced me to retreat. As I did, I glanced at Shooty and Spitty, both hanging back due to their favored attacks and named after them. They cackled in unison as Shooty readied its aim while Spittys head split open down the center to spew more acid.

Tsking to myself, I retreated further back, putting the other saibamen between me and them. Neither seem to care about friendly fire, which was handy. By that time, Stumpy had recovered, Speedy's eye ruined with blood dripping down its face. Stretch was quick to join them, glaring at me as it moaned in pain, its claws twitching as if it were imagining ripping me apart.

Taking in a deep breath, I rushed towards them. My passive fighting style long since abandoned in the face of so many enemies. It just got me overwhelmed. Getting overwhelmed meant I got beat up. Getting beat up meant it didn't stop until I was mostly, like 99% dead. After spending the past three months being varying stages of mostly dead, I could say that I honestly didn't care for it that much.

Launching myself at Stumpy, the smaller saibaman leapt back while the others went for my sides. Rudimentary tactics were the most they could do, so it was one I was used to. Turning sharply on my heel, I lashed out with a kick that caught Stretch in the jaw while my tail poked Speedy in its one eye. It cried out in pain as it grabbed my tail, every muscle freezing up like a million jolts of electricity was flowing through me.

I grit my teeth, fighting against the pain, and yanked my tail towards me. With its lightweight and my strength, Speedy came with my tail, meeting my fist halfway. It shot off-

Any rational thought was cut off when Speedy failed to let go of my tail when it shot off to the side, dragging me with it. Every muscle went limp, both of us landing heavily some feet away. I tried to push myself back up to my feet but my bones felt like they were made of jelly while my muscles were devoid of any strength.

I looked up at the others just in time to catch a kick to the face that sent me flying. If there had to be a plus side not being able to feel anything, it was that I didn't feel that. I slammed into the ground, rolling to my feet that wobbled dangerously before the others were on me. Stumpy was the first to reach me, attacking with a clawed hand at my face.

Grabbing its wrist, I used it as a shield from a ki blast that washed over the smaller saibaman. It cried out in pain, too stunned to counter my grip, letting me slam it into Speedy that rushed to attack. At that same moment, Stretch attacked, its claws carving deep grooves along my ribs. Biting back a scream, I took the opening it gave me by placing a hand on the back of its head and driving it into my knee.

Only then did I see Spitty behind the larger saibaman, a moment too late. Acid splashed over the back of Stretch, protecting me from the worst of it, but my hand burned. Acid ate away at flesh, my skin turning a bright red, then black in some spots where the concentration as worse. Using the utter agony I felt as fuel, I slammed my knee into Stretch's face again. This time I felt something give way.

Blood erupted as its jaw collapsed, its teeth caving in entirely. Panicked, its head split open to splash me with more acid like Spitty had done, giving me the chance to plunge my burning hand inside, grabbing the source of the acid and squeezing hard enough that it was crushed. More acid burned my hand, the pain was indescribable.

Kicking off Stretch, the saibaman falling over, I fell to a knee, clutching at my wrist, trying to fight against the pain. My pain tolerance grew immensely, but the acid was easily the most painful experience by far.

"Tough it out. Don't stop moving," Bardock spoke up, getting me to throw myself backwards as the others converged on me, sensing weakness. "Your enemies aren't going to give you a breather. If you want one, then kill them all."

Easier said than done, I thought, throwing myself back again to get some distance. Speedy lead the pack, Stumply lagging behind. Forcing myself to meet him halfway, I threw a kick to his head that was easily blocked, then countered with a blow to the stomach. Whatever breath was in my lungs raced out, its claws digging into my flesh. It gave me a cruel grin, twisting its claw. I wiped it off its face by slamming an elbow into its other eye, rendering it blind.

Pulling myself away from Speedy, the saibaman clutching at its eyes as it screamed, I turned to Shooty and Spitty for the first time this bout. With only one saibaman to defend them, they were exposed. Judging from their panicked looks, they realized it. Shooty fired ki blasts, each of them missing by inches as I closed the distance between us.

Jumping into the air over a jet of acid, I flipped once before doing an axe kick. Spitty scrambled out of the way, my attack missing, the metal floor warping underneath it. Grinding my teeth, I darted forward, launching myself up and sending a knee at its face. It hastily threw up a block that absorbed my blow. The others would have been fine, but there was a reason why Shooty and Spitty preferred to hang back.

Its arm snapped under my knee, it cried out in pain. Grabbing its oversized head, I slammed my knee into it again, and again, and again and again and- flipping over it, a ki blast slamming into Spitty. It didn't kill the saibaman, but me putting it into a chokehold and snapping its neck did.

Three were down. Two were left. With that thought driving me forward, I rushed towards Shooty, intent on taking it out next, only for Stumpy to intercept me. It went for my legs, only to catch my hands when I punched it. The blow didn't do as much damage as I hoped, the saibaman accepting the blow before countering with wild attacks that drove me back. Each step took me further away from victory.

Growling, I attacked again, throwing punches with all of my strength behind- something grabbed me by the legs, distracting me long enough that I felt Stumpy's claws drag across my face. I could still see with both eyes, so I didn't lose one. With them, I saw it was Speedy, having blindly caught me and gripped my legs to keep me in place.

Fury rose in my chest. At it and at myself. I thought it was done for, so I counted it out of the fight. I was paying for that mistake now. "Die," I snapped, taking my anger out on Speedy by elbowing the top of its head hard enough that it caved in, accepting another blow from Stumpy to kill the saibaman.

Knowing that my strength was fading, I tackled Stumpy to the ground to escape Speedy's death grip. It flailed wildly, surprised at the sudden grapple. Having much more experience than it, it was an easy task to flip it between me and Shooty. As expected, a ki blast hit Stumpy. Not just once, but three times in rapid succession.

I punched it in the face to escape its grasp, intent on dealing with Shooty, only for it to wrap its arms around my shoulders and its legs around my waist. Looking down at its interlocked arms and legs, I saw that its light green skin had a faint glow to it. Knowledge downloaded into my brain told me what was going to happen next.

My eyes widened to the point they could have fallen out of my head. It was about to self destruct. I wasn't going to be able to escape its grasp before it blew, and I definitely wouldn't be in any shape to deal with Shooty if I survived. With no other option, I shot to my feet and started running towards Shooty.

It panicked, knowing what its kin was doing, and fired off a shot at me. With no time to dodge, I accepted the ki blast to my side, then again against my ribs. Bardock's were stronger, I told myself, Stumpy's glowing getting brighter as I rapidly closed the distance.

I was going to survive, I desperately hoped, doing a front flip so I wouldn't be in between Shooty and the explosion. The last thing I saw before everything went white was Bardock's smirk from across the room.

* * *

"-is technique is sloppy, but he's tough enough. He'll survive. Probably," I heard Bardock speak, my eye butterflying open. I was alive? I was alive. Did anything get blown off ...no, two arms, legs, tail and all my fingers and toes were accounted for. That was...surprising. I knew the saibamen were weaker than me, if only barely, but I expected to at least lose a limb in the explosion. Not that I was complaining.

"You're getting too ansty, Bardock. Don't think I didn't hear about you picking a fight with Matillo. Now you want to go on a mission with the princeling?" Another voice pestered, sounding very deep. Bardock blocked most of my view, but I could see dark blue Frieza-force armor on what seemed to be a very large man.

"Don't worry about it," Bardock dismissed, "he managed to kill them in time and it's already been approved by King Vegeta himself. The biggest hassle is going to be babysitting him."

"So, the plan is to take the kid into a trap with us and hope he doesn't die? Aren't you the one always saying that the first casualty in battle is always the plan?" The other voice asked, earning an annoyed huff from Bardock. "I'm not saying that I won't go along, but are you sure you really want to do this? He's been out of the tank for, what, four months?"

"Three," Bardock corrected. I didn't need to see the other guys face to know that he was rolling his eyes.

"Three months." The voice amended, not exactly arguing against it but more of double-checking that Bardock had all of the facts. If anything, judging by his tone, he sounded uncaring.

"I know all of that. It's a risk but it's worth it. If only for my sake, another day here would have driven me insane." Bardock offered his thoughts, earning my attention as I finally fully shook off the last remnants of unconsciousness.

"Hm. Well, in that case," the other voice agreed, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "Looks like he's up. I'll go prep the others." The other voice turned around, walking out of the room. The little I saw of him, I realized he dwarfed Bardock in height, nearly standing a full head taller than my babysitter.

Then Bardock's face filled my window, a slight smirk still playing at the edge of his lips. "Finally. You were out of it for awhile. Get out of there and get dressed, we're going on a mission. Meet me at the spaceport." Bardock informed, walking out of the room as if he gave some kind of explanation. If I hadn't overheard them talking, I would be clueless. I did overhear them and I still didn't know what was going on.

Even still, an order was an order. Pressing the drain button, I got out of the tank and spotted a messy pile of clothes. I snagged a...black one piece, this once covered my legs and arms fully.

With a careless shrug, I put the suit on followed by the Frieza-force armor. the armor was just as stretchy, surprisingly so. It was a solid black except for the stomach, shoulder and thigh guards, those were a dark brown with white trimming. I stretched a few times and found that it didn't impede my movement at all. It really was a one size fits all.

After making sure my tail had full range of motion, I curled it around my waist. The last piece of my attire was a deep green scouter that attached to my ear. With it, I walked out of my room, walked across a thoroughly destroyed training room, and approached a door that I only ever saw the other side of once for a few seconds.

My heart rate picked up, I was just as excited to finally leave this room as I was leaving the tank. The doors slid open revealing...a very generic hallway, almost exactly how I remembered it. Well lite, dull-white ceiling, tan walls, and the floor was the same except for several colors of paint that lead the way to various parts of the building.

That didn't stop me from marveling at it, soaking up the new imagery. Three months. Three whole months of nothing but fighting for my life every single day. Every day, I felt death's cold grip only to slip out of reach at the last possible second. Everything was so new and exciting that it didn't matter if it was mundane.

Looking down at the floor, I saw several messily painted lines of different colors. If I had to guess, they were guidelines to stop people from getting lost. By people, I probably meant Thyme. After a mental coin toss, I picked red and started walking. I took everything in, examining every detail of fresh, new surroundings, as I walked through conspicuously empty hallways. Eventually, I reached a large room with a set of doors on the far wall.

My pace quickened, any stray thoughts vanishing like smoke in the wind as I neared the door, knowing what lay behind them. Once I reached them, I gave a solid push and took my first steps outdoors in three years.

It was hot and humid, a well walked path marking a road on solid rock flanked by thick twisting trees. The sky was a bright blue without a single cloud in sight, the burning ball of fire hanging above shining brightly. It hurt to look at but that was just weakness leaving the body, so I stared up at it all the same, searing the sight into memory.

For a long minute, I just stood there, marveling at the feeling of not being indoors. Wind, real wind, rustled my hair as it brushed against my face. I held my arms out, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on my skin, a warmth I didn't know how much I missed until I experienced it again. I don't know how long I would have stood there, but it wasn't long enough before I heard someone chuckling behind me.

Turning around, I saw a saiyan standing next to what looked like a motorcycle if the wheels had been replaced by yellow floater cores. He was skinny for a saiyan, though muscle did cling to his thin body. A long scar marked his scalp, standing out because of his short hair. A laser gun was holstered on his thigh.

"You must be Tarble. Bardock told me to meet you here since you can't fly yet," he greeted, throwing on a painfully faked friendly smile. "Not sure why he didn't take you with him, but whatever." He muttered under his breath before gesturing to the bike. "Hop on," he instructed, louder.

Staring at the floating machine, I hesitated. It didn't look like it would explode at a moment's notice, but…

I walked towards it, realizing that there was a sidecar attached to it. Ignoring an impulse to jump into the driver's seat, I got in, noting a lack of a seatbelt. I mean, there should definitely be one there but I guess the saiyan mechanics never got around to inventing one. Or, rather, looting the design from other more advanced alien species.

"My names Leek by the way," Leek introduced himself, throwing a lopsided confident smile my way as he jabbed a thumb at himself. It faltered when I just nodded in response. "I'm part of Bardock's team —well, I mean, I'm their pilot, not a combatant like the rest of them, but, you know, I'm on the team. I think. Bardock never really made it clear."

I blinked at the word vomit, shifting in my seat, unsure how to respond. What was I supposed to say to that? How would I respond to Bardock?

I gave him a nod. For some reason, that made his fragile confident look collapse entirely.

"Right," Leek muttered to himself. "Nice going Leek, made yourself look like an idiot in front of royalty." I'm...not sure he realized how good my hearing was. I mean, I was sitting right next to him, so there was no way I wasn't going to be able to hear that. "If you're ready, let's go." He turned the bike on with a push of a button, the machine lifting off the ground.

I hung halfway out of the sidecar to watch the ground get further and further away until I could see the entirety of the Nursery. A smile found its way onto my face, feeling positively giddy at the sight. I was flying. I was free of the gestation tank and free of the training room. And I was flying.

Eventually, I turned my attention to the open air, seeing the land stretch out for as far as the eye could see. Trees covered the ground, except for a city skyline that stuck out like a sore thumb some distance away. Birds of all kinds flew beneath us, all of them large enough to swallow me whole, their hands tipped with razor-sharp claws, flying in formation that I recognized as searching for prey.

It was a habit of saiyans to bring creatures back to planet Vegeta if they were strong or tasty enough. It meant that the ecosystem was a complete and utter mess, completely packed with apex predators with more entering the fray every year. Most failed to adapt to planet Vegeta's heavy gravity, more were hunted to extinction by either other predators or saiyans, but those that survived thrived. They weren't a threat to most saiyans warriors, the working-class on the other hand, it wasn't uncommon for them to become a meal if they weren't careful.

As if summoned by my thoughts, a loud screech echoed through the air. A screech of challenge, the echoes reverberating through me, and Leek if his sudden panicked expression was anything to go by. He whipped around, his head turning on a swivel to find the source, sweat dripping down his brow. "That's not good. That's really not good!"

Like they were drawn by a magnet, my eyes rose upwards to make eye contact with…bright green eyes, the pupil shaped in a slit. A monstrous dragon-type beast, its wings stretching over fifty feet across, it was a dark purple color except where black bone protrusions sprouted on its wide mouth filled with sharp teeth, looking like a beard. No, a helmet that lead to rows of spikes down its spine that were revealed when it angled downward, flying towards us with frightening speed.

"Oh crap!" Leek shouted, following my gaze before the bike shot forward hard enough my back slammed into my seat. He pulled out his gun, firing a light blue laser that hit the monster on its onyx colored helmet, doing no damage. "Hold on, princeling! We gotta get to Bardock. They can take care of it for us."

The beast corrected its course, folding its massive wings to make itself a smaller target and reducing air resistance. It's massive mouth cracked open, revealing rows upon rows of dangerously sharp teeth.

"Can this thing go faster?" I asked, my voice sounding calm to my own ears. We were about to get eaten. I escaped the Nursery, only to be eaten by some random animal on my way to a mission. What an absolute joke.

"No! We're almost there, though! Bardock will meet us halfway!" Leek responded, bringing my attention to a launching platform outside of what looked like a half-destroyed city. What I didn't notice anyone flying in our direction to take care of the dragon. That didn't surprise me. Saiyans were more likely to sit back and laugh instead of offering a helping hand.

"Can-" I started to ask, only to be cut off when the bike jerked to the side suddenly. A blur of the massive beast rushed by our bike, so close I could have reached out and touched it. A wall of wind slammed into us in its wake, knocking us widely to the side, spinning out of control before Leek regained control. I nearly fell out entirely, I would have if Leek didn't reach out to steady me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Can you give me your gun? I can't shoot ki blasts yet," I shouted, looking down at the beast to see its wings unfold to stop its descent.

"What's a ki blast- never mind, here." Leek started, pressing the gun into my hand. Thanks to my education, it was a simple matter of aiming and firing. A blue ray raced towards the monster's wing, hitting the darker purple webbing of its wings. It wasn't too much of a shock to see that it did exactly zero damage. Even still, I fired again and again, accomplishing nothing but making myself feel better about doing something.

The monster flapped its mighty wings, soaring back up before twisting so it was angled for another run at us.

"I don't think we're going to make it," I observed, firing away. "Is Bardock coming?" I asked, not daring to look up to check. I kept firing at its face, blue lasers hitting all around its face with no reaction at all.

Leek tsked to himself, "I don't see anyone coming. What is this thing doing here anyway?! This is a flying zone, the guard is supposed to take care of animals like this!" Leek shouted, moving onto anger of the five stages of grief.

So, it was up to us to deal with it. Well...we were probably dead in that- My thoughts were cut off when I pulled the trigger again, this laser hitting the monster in between its eyes. Before, it seemed to barely notice the lasers, this time its eyes narrowed. Either it was self-aware enough to glare at me or it was trying to protect its eyes.

I took aim and started firing away at its eyes, one laser struck true, hitting it dead-center between the eyes. To my disappointment, it didn't cut its losses and fly away. Worse, it narrowed its eyes into slits, making it impossible to hit, before it flapped of its wings, picking up speed. It would swallow us whole in seconds.

My mind raced, trying to think of something-

No. Don't think. Do.

"Catch me," I instructed Leek before jumping out of the sidecar. My stomach did flips as I raced towards the monsters gaping maw. If I couldn't hit it from far away, then I needed to get close enough that it was impossible to miss. With no time to maneuver, I angled my body to avoid plummeting down its gulet in favor of smacking into its nose. A grunt of pain escaped me on impact, my head bouncing off the surprisingly smooth black bone.

Pushing through the pain with practiced ease, I took aim with my gun, looking directly into the large eyes of the beast. They widened, shocked to see me, offering up a perfect target. I pulled the trigger, steam erupting where it hit, the bolt disappearing into the beast eye. It threw its head back and roared so loud that I couldn't hear anything else, shaking its head in agony.

Wincing in pain, I kept my grip in a nook of its nose, taking aim at its other eye, only to see that it was clenched shut. I fired at it anyway, but its hide proved too tough. A scorch mark appeared, the only sign of damage. Tsking to myself, I realized I wouldn't be able to blind it completely. Turning away, I saw Leek circling back, racing towards me.

I jumped again, sailing towards Leek with my arms outstretched. Time seemed to slow down as I neared, a realization dawning on me. I was too far away. I was going to fall.

Sure enough, my hands grasped at empty air, the once nearing bike suddenly getting further away as gravity took hold. I was falling. Leek looked down at me, clearly panicked as he tilted the bike down. We both raced passed by the monster that still roared in pain, deafening me to whatever Leek was trying to say. From my view, I saw the monster whip around, one eye clenched shut, while the other looked directly at me.

Okay. Maybe it was self-aware enough to glare.

Light shone through the cracks of its teeth, standing out despite it being in the middle of the day, as it turned around to fully face us. My eyes widened when I saw its jaw crack open, revealing a glowing orb of energy, it looked a thousand times more powerful than anything the saibamen could throw at me. If that hit me then there wouldn't even be ash left.

Leek seemed to sense the attack, glancing over his shoulder. I caught a glimpse of a panicked expression appearing on his face, then seeing it fully when he looked back at me. I knew exactly what he was about to do next before he did it. His panicked expression became conflicted before a grimace. It wasn't a shock when he turned the bike to the side to get out of the way, leaving me free falling.

So, either I was going to die from the fall or from a giant laser beam-

No. I'm not going to die. I absolutely refuse to die here. What could I do to get out of this?

I fired my gun, wracking my brain for any hint of a lesson on how to fly. It was something that every warrior needed to be able to do, there had to be something. A description came to mind of a feeling, a tug in your gut that you used to ignore gravity. It didn't do me a lot of good, but it was better than nothing.

My eyes closed, trying to find that feeling. To my shock, it was easier than I expected - there was no soul searching, grand epiphany, or great realization. It was like there was a pool of energy that I only became aware of when I looked for it. When my eyes opened, I saw the beam launch from the monster's mouth, racing towards me at breakneck speeds.

Trusting my gut, I flew out of the way, feeling the heat on my face but otherwise okay. I found myself looking down to see a large explosion that devastated a large part of the forest, leaving behind a massive crater when the light had faded. It was so wide and deep that I couldn't see the bottom of it. A roar brought my attention back to the monster, just in time to see a ki blast slam into the side of the monster before erupting out of the other side.

For a moment, the monster hung in the air, just as shocked as I was before gravity took hold. It started to fall, a low growl escaping its throat. I thought it was going to fall, the damage done to it being too much, but instead, it flapped its wings as it let loose another roar that seemed to shake the air. It sent one final look at me, seeming to memorize my appearance and putting me at the very top of its shit-list before it turned around.

I watched it fly away, blood leaking out of it by the gallon until it was little more than a speck in the distance. I couldn't shake the feeling that I would be seeing it again.

"Tarble," A voice spoke in my ear through my scouter. It took me a moment to place it, having only heard it a handful of times over the years. The voice belonged to Vegeta. "Stop staring like a buffoon and get down here."

"Er," I started, not sure how to respond. "Sure." Nice going. What was Vegeta doing here?

Turning to the launch platform, I ignored Leek and blasted off in that direction. Flying was...weird. It was almost intuitive by just willing myself to ignore gravity, but it felt like if I didn't give it my full attention then I would plummet to my death. I soared through the air at a sputtering pace, slowly growing more natural with every second.

As I neared, I saw half a dozen people standing in front of a large saucer ship, bigger than what's usual for a five man team. I recognized Bardock standing in the center, flanked by familiar blue armor that must be the man Bardock was talking to earlier. There were others, but I couldn't bring myself to give them a second look in favor of staring at Vegeta, who stood in front of all of them.

I touched down in front of him, unsure what to say. The last time we saw each other, I was getting my butt kicked by the weakest saibaman. Vegeta didn't seem to have that problem, a hand going up to his scouter to read my power level.

"Hm, only 630?" Vegeta said with a frown, crossing his arms, his eyes narrowed. "Though, I suppose it is progress compared to your pathetic showing before. You've even figured out how to fly." He added with what sounded like begrudging acceptance.

I perked up at the praise, no matter how backhanded, and it must have shown because Vegeta was quick to continue. "Wipe that smile off your face. You still have a very long road ahead of you if you ever want to be acknowledged by Father." His words did what he intended, killing a slight smile in favor of clenching my jaw at the reminder.

People might call me a prince or princeling, but I wasn't. King Vegeta's blood runs through my veins but he did not acknowledge me. For now.

Vegeta smirked at my expression before he quickly adopted a severe expression. "I'm sure you know this by now, but the mission you're taking is of great importance," Vegeta said, sounding like he was repeating someone else word for word. "Which is why I'm here!" He added, a little forcefully. "Frieza has bestowed the honor of getting first blood against the Reach to the saiyan race!"

Oh. Oh...oh. I...I was about to start a war, wasn't I?

Vegeta continued, oblivious or uncaring to my sinking realization. "Which is why you must succeed. Purge the planet of all life, sentient or beast. The Reach cannot ignore such an attack against one of their protectorates. It will be war." He explained, giving me a full-blown smile.

My head bobbed on its own accord, unsure how to feel. Part of me that still remembered being human told me I should be afraid, while everything else hummed with anticipation. All of the knowledge of the Reach downloaded into my brain was exciting rather than daunting. In the end, I had to pick between the two.

I chose to feel excited about the fights to come.

Vegeta seemed to sense my decision, giving me a curt nod as he dramatically turned around to walk away, his cape fluttering out exactly like King Vegeta's. I turned to Bardock and his team, seeing most of them already getting on the ship. I moved to do the same, only to stop when I heard Vegeta speak up as I walked up the rampart.

"Tarble." He said, causing me to look over my shoulder. He pinned me with an indescribable look, his onyx black eyes searching for something. "Don't die."

I met his gaze for a long second before I found myself nodding, stepping into the ship as I answered.

"I won't."

* * *

**The next chapter is up on my a week early. It's available to all tier s, so for a little as a dollar. Link is on my profile page, just delete the extra spaces since this site seems to hate links.**


	5. Taste of Peace

"What's with the new ship?" Leek asked, settling into the pilot seat. Bardock stood behind him, with me behind both of them, unsure what I should be doing. Exploring the ship ran the risk of running into the other four saiyans on board, so I awkwardly followed Bardock around because he was the only one familiar to me. "This ship is meant for platoons."

Bardock cracked a smile as the ship lifted off the ground with a low hum that was barely audible. "It's easier to just give us a new ship than installing a half dozen healing pods into our old one."

"A half dozen?" Leek blurted, turning around. I kept an ear open to their conversation as I walked forward, taking a seat in the other chair as I stared out the front window. We rapidly traveled through thick clouds, busting through them until everything grew darker as we entered the stratosphere...I was seeing the curvature of planet Vegeta.

It didn't really look like how I remembered earth. The landmasses were all wrong, the color was lighter, cyan rather than royal blue. The polar ice caps were also much larger while the clouds swirled in incredible patterns.

"Yeah. Had to use some leverage, but I convinced King Vegeta that we were worth it." Bardock explained, sounding proud of himself. Leek let out a low whistle, going through a series of checks, getting a ping in response. The planet shifted from view, giving way to an inky blackness that was only broken up by countless small pricks of light that almost seemed to twinkle in the darkness. Those pricks of light blurred, stretching into lines that I recognized as slipping into hyperspeed.

"You convinced King Vegeta that low-class saiyans were worth six healing tanks? You've worked miracles before Bardock, but this one might take the cake." Leek praised, then raising an eyebrow to give Bardock a pointed look. "So, why do we need healing tanks all of a sudden? Frieza can call it what he wants, but this mission isn't that much different than any other."

Bardock scoffed, "if you don't think the Reach is ready for something like this, then you're an idiot. The natives are trash, but I'll bet my tail if there aren't scarabs stationed there." He explained, earning a nod from Leek as I continued to stare at the lines of light. Even still, I perked up at the mention of the Reach's greatest weapon. A machine scarab that attaches itself to a host, granting them increased strength, durability and transformative abilities at the cost of their free will.

"Yeah, but scarabs don't get much stronger than 40,000 pl, and I doubt one of those are going to be stuck as a peacekeeping force." Leek dismissed, jinxing us and probably dooming us to death. Ignoring that, I spared him a glance at how he could dismiss such a stupidly huge power level. King Vegeta was the strongest saiyan in history and he was barely over ten thousand-

"We're going oozaru?" I asked, earning a nod from Bardock. The ace in the hole for saiyans, by absorbing enough blutz waves we could transform into a giant ape that was roughly ten times stronger our base power. Apparently no one bothered exploring that quirk of evolution since I didn't understand how that made any sense, but I wasn't complaining.

He nodded, "As soon as we touch down. Rockoroad is a small planet with only a couple hundred million population. We need to hit them fast, overwhelm their defenses, slaughter the natives, then get out before the Reach can react." It sounded like a solid plan, though if the fact that Bardock went out of his way to get healing pods, it seemed that he didn't expect things to go to plan. "It has plenty of moons though, always one in the sky at any given time, so it'll be best if we break off into pairs."

Multiple moons. It was little wonder why King Vegeta, or more likely Lord Frieza, chose this planet for the opening move. On the other hand, it also made it the obvious choice. Thus the healing tanks.

"Sounds good to me. We'll arrive in a few weeks, so we can hammer out the little stuff on the way. Or you can sleep through it like usual," Leek said, turning away from the command center. Bardock gave an unrepentant shrug in response.

"I'll catch up with everyone since I've been babysitting for so long. And grab some food," with that, Bardock walked out of the cockpit. I watched him go, torn between following him and continuing to stare out at the great void known as space.

Leek let out a breath, "he's wound pretty tight. Guess he's more worried about the mission than I thought." Then he looked at me, throwing on a smile, "but don't worry about that. With Bardock leading us, everything will be just fine."

I stared at him for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. Were...we just going to pretend that he hadn't left me to die like ten minutes ago? Because he straight up left me to die to save his own life about ten minutes ago.

"We were sent to die," I summarized my thoughts on the situation. Maybe not with the exact intention of killing us, but we weren't expected to come back. The Reach and Trade Organization were standing nose to nose, each waiting for the other to take the first swing. We were that punch to bloody the Reach's nose, but why let that blow land if you knew it was coming?

Leek gave me a look that I saw out of the corner of his eye before giving a shrug. "Yeah, pretty much," he agreed easily enough. "But, like I said, Bardock will lead us through this and we'll all go back home great big heroes. It's what he does."

Leek's unwavering faith in Bardock reassured me somewhat, but it just moved my worries in a different direction. King Vegeta had to have approved me going on this suicide mission… Suddenly, my interest in the final frontier vanished. I hopped out of my chair, ignoring Leek's questions about where I was going.

The door slid shut behind me, only then did I ponder the question. Where was I going? Should I find Bardock and follow him like a lost duck? No, he was with his squad mates and I didn't...people very well. Well, if everyone was in the cafeteria, then the rest of the ship should be empty. If there was a time to explore, then it would be now.

My feet moved of their own will, taking me down hallways with an ever so slight bend to them that followed the saucer shape all the while I tried not to think about anything. The ship seemed bigger on the inside than it did before, and broken into four big sections marked by a large bulkhead door, which were broken up into smaller sections. Despite appearances, it struck me as a ship for battle rather than a transport.

I heard the sounds of laughter echoing down the hall, coming from the direction of the cafeteria. Stepping down a hallway that would lead me away from it, I kept walking occasionally popping my head into rooms just to see what they were. I found a barracks, cargo hold, medical room, an engine room filled with so many complicated machinery it would probably explode if I touched anything and-

My thoughts were interrupted when I nearly ran face first into a wall that came out of nowhere. Backing up, I saw that it wasn't a wall but a woman. She was taller than me by over two feet, but I noticed that she was noticeably shorter than the average saiyan. She wore a dark pink unitard that left her thighs and shoulders bare. Above it was Frieza-force armor, though with only one strap. On one of her legs was a light yellow leg warmer with knee guards over it.

"Heh, there you are you little tyke," she greeted, smiling as she leaned over, her golden earrings bouncing lightly. "I was looking all over the place for you."

Stumbling back, she caught me by rubbing the top of my head hard enough that I'm sure I was sporting a bald spot. "Why?" I asked, trying to move her hand away, only for it to not budge. A casual reminder of just how much stronger everyone else was.

Thankfully, she took the hint and withdrew. "Because, for now, we're squadmates." She answered like that was some kind of explanation. I waited for her to continue, but when it was clear that she wouldn't, I responded.

"So?" I asked with a tilt of my head, frowning in confusion. What did that have to do with anything? The saiyan woman just smirked in response, seemingly used to the question.

"We aren't like most squads. Bardock kept preaching about teamwork for ages before any of us took it seriously," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder and leading me forward. After a moment of hesitation, I let her. "Covering the other's weakness, supporting them when they're in a bad spot and so on. I thought it was nonsense for awhile too, even when I was obeying his orders."

That sounded...weird. Not bad, just really weird. It wouldn't be wrong to say that a squad of saiyans were five individuals that just happened to be fighting on the same planet at the same time. It sounded like Bardock took it a step further.

"And look at us now. The strongest of the low-class saiyans," She continued, leading me closer to the source of all the laughter. Now it was clear where she was going with all of this. I seized up, earning a chuckle from her as she just picked me up. "Stop being so anti-social, sheesh. Suck it up and have some fun. It'll be good for you."

I tried to fly out of her grasp, only for my clothes to betray me by stretching. When that didn't work, she yanked me back before grabbing me by the tail. "Urgh," I groaned, swatting at her hands weakly.

"Huh, tough little guy, ain't ya?" She commented, "Shugesh doesn't put that much fight when his tail gets pulled." A growl escaped my throat as I grabbed her hand, trying to pry her fingers off of my tail. However, it was too little too late. She brought us to the cafeteria, stepping through the threshold.

Looking up, I saw the other saiyans, including Leek, sitting at a large table with a veritable mountain of food stacked on top of it. Bardock and the one dressed in blue armor were knocking back mugs of alcohol, the other two were stuffing their faces, though at very different paces. The one with a bowl haircut shoved food into his mouth every other second while the other with three scars marked on his forehead bothered to chew.

The one in blue noticed us first. "Fasha? Where did you get off to?" He asked, wiping his mouth of a dark green liquid.

Fasha held me up as an answer, bringing Bowl-Hair's attention to me. He paused stuffing his face, a scowl crossing his features. "Why'd you bring the kid? I'm sure Bardock has seen enough of 'em."

"Shut it Shugesh," Fasha responded, striding into the room with easy confidence. She dropped me into an empty chair next to the saiyan with the blue armor, who spared me a look. I met his stare, not sure what I was supposed to be doing. Whatever I did, it was apparently the right thing because he held his hand out.

I shook it, noting that my hand was comically small in comparison.

"Bardock has told be quite a bit about you, Tarble. Nice to finally meet you. I'm Tora, vice-captain to these idiots." Tora introduced himself with a surprisingly easy going grin. It really didn't match his large size or stern face.

"Nice to meet you?" I echoed, this going very differently than the first time Bardock and I talked. My eyes darted to my...caretaker…to see him idly watching the interaction as he drank his alcohol. He cocked an eyebrow when our eyes met as if to ask me what I was looking at, so I quickly looked away, my gaze landing on one of the other saiyans.

They landed on the saiyan with the three scars across his forehead, that stood out that much more because of his darker skin tone. And the fact that he was bald on the top of his head, with the sides fanning out almost parallel. He was probably the tallest of the group and the widest.

He met my gaze silently, chewing on a slab of meat, only to pause for a long second. I went stiff on reflex, ready to bolt out of my chair for a fight, even if it could only end one way. Instead, he ripped the slab of meat in half like it was a piece of paper, grease and fat flying everywhere before he tossed the other half to me. After catching it with minimal fumbling, I gave him a questioning look and got a sage nod in return before he continued with his own meal.

Right. That was...good? Either way, I got something to eat without having to fight tooth and nail for it, so there was that.

Finally, my gaze landed on the last member of Bardock's squad. A man more heavyset that muscular, his face round with chubby cheeks, a half-grown thin mustache stretching down his lips. He wasn't looking at me in favor of shoveling more food into his mouth by the handful. I knew about manners, so they were clearly a thing, but Shugesh seemed like he couldn't care less about them.

While I was looking at them all, Tora continued leading the conversation that we had apparently interrupted. "As I was saying, the scarabs are broken up into tiers-" He started, only to pause when he looked at me. I gave him a questioning look, wondering why, but Bardock supplied the answer he was looking for.

"He learned all about the Reach in the tank. Actually, Tarble, you give the briefing since you probably know more about the Reach than any of us." Bardock ordered the complement left forgotten in the horror of being put on the spot.

"Uh," I started intelligently, shifting in my seat as I felt all eyes go onto me. The knowledge downloaded into my brain, always so quick to surface, vanished without a trace. "Okay?" I tried, the awkward silence stretching on and on, leaving me to break it. "Right."

Where did I start? Tora mentioned something about tiers...right. As good of a place as any. "Um, the scrabs have numerous tiers; blue and green are typically used as scouts, while red and black are used as vanguard units." I started, quoting what I learned word for word. "Additionally, there are special class units that have been observed in recent years, likely created out of anticipation of war with Lord Frieza-"

Shugesh let out a snort, bring me up short. When he met my look, he scowled, "quite it with the boring details. Get to the good stuff." He ordered, making heat raise to my face.

"Er, right." Losing my train of thought, it took me a moment to skip to the parts he wanted to know. "Scouts typically have a power level that maxes out at 10,000, but are typically lower depending on the model. The Vanguard units are a lot stronger. Like, a lot stronger. Most average out at 40,000, with more advanced models coming out, so that is likely to increase."

This was going... not horribly. "But there have been rumors about other models being put into production in the hopes of countering Lord Frieza. A support class scarab's existence has been confirmed, but thats all we know about it so far. Then there is a purple scarab, only we don't know anything about its function or role. The intel we have suggests its power level could be as high as...100,000."

Leek let out a low whistle, "didn't know about them." He commented through a mouthful of food.

"Doesn't matter though since we're going oozaru." Fasha dismisses with a shrug over her shoulders.

"Don't have a choice, more like it," Tora muttered more to himself than anyone else, sounding exasperated. Fasha just dismissed his words with another shrug while she spotted a lopsided grin.

"Tarble," Bardock got my attention. "Don't sit there sucking on your thumb. Continue." He ordered, making the short-lived conversation fall short. I shifted in my seat, having thought my part was done. What was with him? I knew he wanted me dead, making me go on a suicide mission that was wildly out of my league, was proof of that, even if I didn't know why. Did he just enjoy watching me suffer?

"Uh?" I hesitated, wondering what else would be useful and they would actually care about. I doubt they would be interested in Reach politics, or a recent primitive species that they uplifted. What did they want to hear? "Um-"

"Wouldya stop humming and hawing?" Shugesh grumbled through a mouthful of food. "Just spit it out already." He didn't sound mad, but I felt my face turn bright red, which only made my embarrassment that much worse because now it was obvious that I was embarrassed.

I almost said um again, though I managed to stop myself by being incredibly aware of the word. The tension becoming increasingly unbearable, I latched onto the first thing that came to mind. "If this planet is the obvious first target, then wouldn't it make sense if they were ready for us going oozaru?"

Tora straightened, giving me a sharp look. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, not sounding surprised exactly, but taken off guard. I didn't miss the look he shared with Bardock either.

"Uh," Shoot, I did it again. "We're already assuming that there are scarabs, then they probably have other defenses built. Like, er, bombs on the moon to blow it up, or maybe a really big gun to shoot us when we're in oozaru form or some way to cut off our tails...or something." I finished lamely, cringing on the inside a little.

"This is weird," Shugesh muttered just loud enough that everyone heard him. When I looked at him, he gave an unapologetic shrug. "I'm not the only one thinking it. Bardock, if you say the kid is ready then I'll believe he's ready, but that doesn't change it weird hearing a baby talk like that."

My lips pressed together into a thin line, looking at the others to see if they agreed with them, only to find consensus.

"You get used to it," Bardock dismissed, ignoring my scowl in his direction. "But he's right. We were already going to have to sneak our way planetside, but odds are we're going to have to attack any military installation we can find as our opening move. With them out of the way, the civilian population will be defenseless. Same plan as before other than that - hit them fast, hit hard, then get out before they can counter.

"Sounds good to me," Fasha spoke up for the rest of the squad.

"What about the kid?" The one with the scars asked, shockingly gentle. It really, really, really didn't match his face. At all.

"I said not to worry about him, didn't I?" Bardock answered with a dismissal shrug, grabbing a slab of meat. He sounded annoyed, pinning me with a look for a moment before it flickered over to Tora. "He'll tag along with Tora's group. Look after him for me."

I twitched, anger bubbling in my chest as I bit into my food to stop myself from saying something. I was being treated like a problem that he shoved onto someone else the first chance he got. It shouldn't be surprising, but it was and it sucked.

"Will do," Tora agreed while Shugesh heaved a sigh. Bardock cocked an eyebrow in his direction while Fasha just sighed, rolling her eyes so hard there was a risk of them rolling out of her skull.

"If we're protecting the prince then we don't get to fight the strong guys," Shugesh muttered, giving me a sour look. "Can't Borgos look after 'em instead?" My next bite into my meal was harder than necessary, my teeth grinding the meat into nothing before swallowing it and my anger.

"What?" Fasha sputtered, "no, just deal with it Shugesh." She denied with a shake of her head while Borgos, the largest saiyan, simply ate in silence.

"Why not? You're the one with a soft spot for kids! We don't need some deadweight princeling-"

"I'm not a prince!" I snapped at the larger man, feeling a vein throb in my forehead as I failed to swallow my anger. It came bubbling back to the surface, erupting and spilling out. Of all things, Shugesh didn't respond because he simply gave me a surprised look.

Taking a deep breath, I set my jaw as I glared at him, then at the table as I put my realization into words. "If King Vegeta okayed me going on this mission then it means he's written me off. Until I become an elite-class saiyan, I mean nothing to him and he won't acknowledge me."

I wasn't supposed to feel anything about that. A saiyan warrior was meant to be proud, independent and utterly ruthless. Not being acknowledged by my parents shouldn't matter to me. The only thing that should matter to me was reaching elite-class for my own sake, so everyone would acknowledge my strength.

Should and shouldn't didn't matter, though.

"Elite-class, huh?" Fasha said with a grin, throwing an arm over the back of her chair. "And I thought we were aiming big to make it to mid-class."

"Speak for yourself. I'm sure Bardock is aiming for the-urk." Shugesh started, only to be cut off with an elbow from Tora. The shorter saiyan shot him a sharp look, only to turn his gaze to me, his shock giving way to a sheepish expression.

"That's enough cutting up," Bardock stated, quick to put an end to that conversation. I knew better than to ask, knowing I wouldn't get an answer. Instead, I finished off my food, chewing thoughtfully on who Bardock could be gunning for.

Could it be...Lord Frieza? I huffed at the thought. No, that was flat out impossible. Lord Frieza might as well be a god he was so much stronger than everyone else. His target must be much weaker. Perhaps...what would Bardock want...maybe…

The Ginyu Force? The elite of the elite, the most powerful and feared squad in the entire Frieza Force. Lead by captain Ginyu, who had a power level of over 100,000. He too was well out of reach for Bardock to hope to defeat, but the other members were nowhere near as strong. Most of them hovered around 50,000, which was still out of reach without going oozaru, all except for their weakest member who had a power level of 10,000.

That had to be it. Bardock wanted on the Ginyu force. Ambitious.

"Now enough about that crap. Feels like it's been ages since we were all together. What did you knuckleheads get up to?" With that, Tora lead the way of explaining what they had been doing for the past three months, letting me eat in peace. I savored it while I could.

War was on the horizon, after all.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Taste of War

"What are you doing in there?" Fasha announced her presence, her voice slightly muffled. My eyes cracked open, looking through the window of the healing tank to see her giving me an arched look.

A yawn escaped me before I could answer, "sleeping." I stated shortly, the healing fluid helping my dry eyes but they still felt heavy.

"...In a healing pod?" Fasha continued, making me fall silent. I quickly learned that I couldn't sleep in a bed anymore. It was too dry, a blanket too constraining and just too...weird. I tossed and turned all night, trying to fall asleep only to fail. The same for the second night as well. By the third, I was desperate for sleep, so I climbed into a healing pod and filled it up. I was out like a light as soon as it covered me.

"...is that weird?" I asked, not looking at her. I didn't know how to explain it. Sleeping in a bed felt wrong while sleeping in a healing tank felt natural. It probably had something to do with spending three years in the gestation tank and the past two and a half months in a healing tank after nearly dying every day.

"Uhh," Fasha started, leaning away from the window. Her tone told me that, yeah, it was weird. It would be a lie to say I didn't care, but it would be less weird to not sleep in a healing pod. "No, it's not," she lied. "But you need to get out, we're almost there."

"Okay," I nodded, Fasha stepping out as I got out of the healing pod. Getting dressed with my clothes and armor, I dried myself off. The mission, after weeks of travel, was finally about to begin. I had weeks to wrap my head around it, but I don't think I even started, I realized when I stepped out of the medical bay.

I walked down a hallway, stopping in front of a window and gazing through it.

"What are you brooding about this time?" Fasha announced her presence, placing a hand on top of my head, following my gaze out a window that revealed the final frontier.

An alien planet filled up most of my vision. It was dark brown with patches of white and litter brown bits. Its clouds were a dark black, swirling across the planet. Surrounding it was a bunch of moons, some bigger than others, but it was easy to see why this was the chosen battleground to get first blood.

Planet Rockoroad. Native to the Nepotins, a race of small, weak, fish-based species. Unfit for even slave labor, but there was a mention that they apparently tasted good. Their tech level was deemed primitive, though it would be the modern era for Earth. The planet itself was nothing special, boasting no exotic minerals or abilities other than its strategic location.

"Nothing," I lied, not looking up as I stared at the slowly approaching planet. Bardock gave the order for the thrusters to go dark, relying on previous momentum, as we approached from the dark side of one of their moons.

"Nervous?" Fasha questioned, not believing me for a second. In recent weeks, she was the only member of Bardock's squad that I built something of a rapport with. By that, I meant she was the only one that didn't mind when I followed her like an awkward duckling when Bardock told me to get out of my room.

"No," I lied again. After spending a week following her around, it got easier to talk to her. I second-guessed my words less and the feeling of sticking my entire foot into my mouth was less frequent.

"Hm," Fasha hummed, sounding doubtful. There was a beat of silence as we both stared at the planet that we would soon lay to waste. I...had a hard time picturing it. By now, I understood the plan, but when I tried to imagine it happening in my head, I drew a blank. I couldn't imagine myself destroying cities, massacring millions…

"Well, you're braver than I was before my first mission," Fasha admitted without any care, earning my attention. Craning my head back, I gave her a puzzled look and got a shrug from her. "I became a warrior when I was ten and I nearly ended up joining the working-class. I thought if I screwed up then they'd make me one anyway. Of course, that made me so nervous I did screw up. I'd be some mechanic or food processor if it weren't for Gine."

"Who's that?" I asked, knowing better than to ask how she screwed up. If it was bad enough that she would have been demoted a class, then it meant someone died.

"Gine? She used to be a member of the team, but she left it. She was too soft-hearted to be a warrior. She's a meat processor now and Bardock's woman." She explained a silent dare in her voice for me to make a comment about her...friend. It wasn't just Bardock that was weird, his entire squad was. They may fight and bicker but they were friends.

It went against everything that I learned what saiyans are, and what they should be. I think I liked that, though.

Once she was satisfied that I wasn't going to make a stupid remark, Fasha continued. "What I'm trying to get at is that you'll be fine. Stick with Tora, ignore Shugesh, and don't hesitate to look at the moon. Do that, and you'll be fine." She said, patting me on the head a few times.

Before I had a chance to respond, a voice spoke through my scouter. "Everyone, get to the docking bay. We're heading down," Bardock ordered. I could practically hear the savage grin in his voice. I definitely saw one on Fasha's face as she turned around, marching through the halls. I followed after her after a moment of hesitation.

The docking bay was on the other side of the ship for us, so we were the last ones to arrive. It was a wide-open room filled with space pods called attack balls, a dull gray ball with a dark red window to look out of. The rest of the team, minus Leek, stood in front of open pods. Upon seeing us, Bardock gave a nod.

"Leek, keep your course and stay on the dark side of the moon," Bardock ordered, getting a confirmation from the pilot through our scouters. "We're splitting up to attack these military bases," Bardock began, pointing to a map with two red dots. "Tora, Shugesh, Tarble, you'll take the upper right while Borgos, Fasha and I will take the other."

His gaze swept over us, a serious expression on his face that made me stand up straighter when his gaze lingered on me. "We hit them fast, we hit them hard and we leave nothing left of them. If you can avoid it, don't go oozaru until you reach a city. And stick together! I don't need any of you dying a stupid death for glory this early on in the war, got it?"

"""Got it."""

"Uh, got it." I echoed a half-second later than everyone else.

"Good. Let's get this done," Bardock said, getting a cheer while everyone else got into their attack balls. I picked one next to Tora, the seal cracking open to reveal a padded interior, some medical equipment attached to a single chair. I felt a pang of pity for Tora and Borgos. It would be a tight fit for both of them.

Taking a seat, the attack ball closed as a screen flashed while the destination was set. With that, my attack ball shifted when it got into position a moment before it shot out of the docking bay towards planet Rockoroad. The dark side of the moon filled my window, rapidly growing closer as a heavyweight seemed to settle in my gut.

That heavy weight felt like it dropped to my feet when planet Rockoroad peeked from behind one of its moons as we raced towards it. I was about to participate in genocide. Not sure why, but that only really sunk in now that I was less than a minute away from the planet I was ordered to purge. What did-

No. Don't think about it. I wasn't human anymore. I was a saiyan warrior…and this is what it meant to be a saiyan warrior.

At least, that is what I told myself when my stomach started doing flips as I neared the planet. Heat began to wash over my window, blocking my view as flames licked at the side of the attack ball. I expected the ball to shake, or something, but other than the flames, it was hard to tell that I was going through reentry-

I lurched forward at my sudden crash landing, only managing to stop myself from flying out of the chair by gripping it with white knuckles. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the seal cracked open again, hitting me with a blast of ice-cold air, revealing a pitch-black sky so dark that there weren't any stars, the only color being white clouds and…

Quickly closing my eyes, I looked away from the moons in the sky. Only one of the three was a full moon, but staring at a crescent moon for long enough could trigger the transformation. Instead, I crawled out of the attack pod, floating out of a crater to see I was in the middle of a building, my pod having crashed through the ceiling.

I...was on an alien planet, I thought to myself as my feet touched down on the edge of the crater. The walls were a light green color, marked with dark brown patterns - it was a hangar of some kind if the ships in the shape bars with a skinnier middle section were anything to go by. Everything was so...light? I gave an experimental hop, only to leap high enough I could have cleared my spaceship. My admiring was broken short when explosions erupted on the outside of the hanger, shaking the ground beneath me while rubble fell from the ceiling.

They were already getting started. I should probably get out of here before they toss a ki blast to destroy the building and me with it. Floating up, I started to sail out of the hole, only pause when I heard the sound of chattering teeth. Looking down, I saw a...gnome?

It was short, though with its head shaped like a cone added another foot to it, with light pink skin. It raised a weapon, an energy blaster, at me but it trembled so badly that I doubt it would hit me if it did pull the trigger. I stared into its chocolate brown eyes, seeing the fear in them even if it was an alien.

I...should kill it, shouldn't I? I couldn't use ki blasts yet since learning how on a ship in space seemed like a bad idea. So, I would have to kill it with my bare hands. It...shouldn't be any different than killing a saibaman. Unless...a quick use of my scouter showed me it had a power level of 10.

It flinched so badly at the hand movement that it fired a shot on accident if the utter terror on its face was anything to go by. The shot went wide, the impact drowned out by the battle raging outside.

I should kill it. I shouldn't be hesitating like this. I was a saiyan warrior. I...I…

I looked away and finished flying out of the hanger. Tora hovered above the military base, ki blast after ki blast firing from his hands and leaving devastation in his wake. Buildings were reduced to rubble, dozens of aliens lay dead, while explosions wracked the military base. Shugesh did the same, laying waste to anything that got in his way. It was a complete one-sided slaughter.

My gaze found a dying alien, laying in a pool of light yellow blood. It struggled to get back to its feet, to throw itself back into the fight, denying its body's screams to stay down with sheer will to fight back like I had so many times before...only to die in a stray explosion from Tora. I doubt he realized that he killed the alien.

It was happening everywhere. Aliens that didn't quite die during the initial blast that struggled to cling to life, only to die moments later. My scouter, still in scanner mode, picked up hundreds of power levels that belonged to the aliens rapidly dwindling with every passing second.

This wasn't war. This was a massacre.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I turned my attention to a building that dominated the military base. It was a citadel, set as several platforms capped with three large domes. Lights flashed on it, alarms wailing as the military bases went on full alert as its defenses were prepared.

"Tarble, we're heading to the main base. Stick close," Tora ordered, shooting off towards the base without waiting. Shugesh quickly followed after them. I went to do the same, only to pause to look down to see the alien looking up at me with pure terror. It trembled like a leaf, its weapon forgotten, as it simply stared up at me.

Looking away, I shot off after Tora and Shugesh, trying not to pay any attention to the carnage that surrounded me. They did this in minutes, less than five. A fortified military base was wrecked, its soldiers dead. All that was left was the citadel and if the explosions that already covered it from the two saiyans pre-firing at it, it wouldn't offer much more resistance.

"We need to level this place, but first let's see if we can get any intel on troop positions. Shugesh, Tarble, you two head in. I'll finish mopping up out here." Tora ordered, deftly dodging between beams of lights as he rained death upon his enemies. "I'm sure they have a command room or something."

"Sure. Don't have too much fun...and don't blow up the building when we're still in it," Shugesh returned, diving into a hole that Tora had made with a ki blast. I followed in after him, trying to not focus on the bodies laying beneath rubble. They were trying to fight back so hard, they were giving it their all, but it meant nothing. Tora and Shugesh were just too strong.

We flew through the hallways, Shugesh leading the way. The aliens tried to put up some resistance, they sealed off the hallways and put up walls of soldiers to stop us, but they were dealt with complete ease by Shugesh. A yellow ki blast cleared our way, destroying everything and everyone in our path. All they managed to do was throw lives away, not even managing to be an inconvenience.

"How are we going to find the command center?" I asked, talking through our scouters. The stench of smoke and blood was so strong that I could taste it.

"Eh, I usually just find the guy with the strongest power level and use it as a guide. Strong guys are always on the command deck, center or whatever. Bet they didn't teach you that in the pod." Shugesh answered, giving me a cocky grin as he looked back while he butchered another group of defenders.

I swallowed thickly, doing another general scan. Higher power levels took priority, directing me to a power level that nearly hit a hundred directly above us. "Should we make a path straight there then?" Anything other than flying through the halls, senselessly slaughtering aliens. "Tora said we should do this fast, right?"

Shugesh tsked to himself, seemingly displeased. "We're making good time. I usually clear the place out so we don't have to deal with professional soldiers later...but this is a hit n' run…yeah, I guess we might as well." He muttered, the scouter picking up his grumbling as he came to a sudden stop. Raising his hand upwards, he fired off a ki blast that carved a tunnel through the building that lead directly to the strongest power level nearby.

We flew up, and Shugesh wasn't wrong. We found ourselves in a place that fit what I would expect a command center to look like. A large room layered with a command deck, the lower floors lined with chairs for the commander to boss around with a bunch of blinking computers. It was filled with aliens, all of the screaming as they ducked for cover.

All except one. It was next to impossible to tell, but it seemed older than the rest. There weren't any wrinkles or grayed hairs, but it held itself with an air of experience. It looked at Shugesh, then to me, before it clenched its jaw.

"You can have this one. I'll go data mining for something interesting." Shugesh informed, slaughtering the other twenty aliens with a casual ki blast. The room filled with dust, the tracking feature on my scouter telling me that Shugesh moved towards the main computer. Leaving me with the last alien in the room.

My mouth went dry, the scouter telling me its location in the heavy dust. What...what did I do? I...I...I should kill it. There wasn't a choice this time. I should murder this alien for being strong and standing against me. This is what it meant to be a saiyan warrior.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shot forward, leading the way with a fist. The dust was so heavy that I didn't see the alien until I was right on him. It threw itself to the side as it raised a blaster at me. A dark red laser raced by my head, easily dodged. I clenched my fist - it...it wasn't any different than killing saibamen. No, it was easier because I was so much stronger than it. All I had to do was punch a hole in its chest and it would be dead.

Another laser fired off at me, forcing me to retreat higher into the air. My insides felt like they were being tied into knots, my heart hammering in my chest. Was...was...was there really no other way? I didn't...If I said that it was a worthy warrior, having earned my respect, then...then it could survive. Since this was just a hit and run, we wouldn't be taking any slaves, so it could survive.

I would have to make the fight look good, though. So, no more hesitating.

Taking a bracing breath, I shot forward with my clenched fist. Another laser shot at me, but it missed by a mile, the alien unable to find me in the smoke. It only did when I was right upon it, my fist sailing towards its face faster than it could see. I couldn't hit it with all my strength, so I-

I only realized the problem with my plan after my fist made contact. I never fought anyone weaker than me before. In my time outside of the tank, I was forced to use every last ounce of my strength every day against foes I couldn't hope to beat.

I couldn't control my strength.

My fist ripped through the aliens head, reducing it to shattered bone, brain matter and blood splashing on the ground as the alien dropped to the floor. The blood on my hand felt impossibly cold, my jaw dropped as I was left staring stupidly at the corpse. I didn't mean…! I tried to…! I…!

I...I was a saiyan warrior, I told myself, swallowing bile as I clenched my jaw shut. My blood-stained hands trembled at my sides, trying to force myself to stay calm. I was a saiyan warrior. I was a fighter. A killer. My destiny was to fight strong opponents, purge planets and sell them for profit for Lord Frieza. This…

"I'm a saiyan warrior," I repeated aloud to myself, the words helping. This is what I was meant to be. Now, if only those words didn't sound incredibly hollow to my own ears, I'd be set.

"Done already? Eh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. These things are pretty weak," Shugesh commented through the scouters. Using the tracker as a guide, I shoved my darkening thoughts to the side with no small amount of trouble. Paying attention to a map of the planet highlighting troop movements, high priority targets and, more importantly, information on the scarabs on the planet.

Three in total, all scout class. No location, only that they were on the planet. Since we didn't pick them up on our general scans, they must be powered down to avoid detection.

"We're done here Tora, on our way out now," Shugesh informed, stepping away from the main conceal before destroying it with a ki blast. "I'm sending some coordinates your way. There's a depo with hardware designed to shoot off our tails when we go oozaru not too far from here. Oh, and they should have something that fits what Bardock wanted." He said before making another exit that we flew out of.

Tora was just as busy as we were. There was nothing left of the military base, what little that stood was on fire, thick black smoke rising, or in the process of collapsing. There was no resistance left, every alien in the base dead. My stomach clenched, my scouter searching for a power level…

4000, 3800. The only ones were Tora's and Shugesh. That alien that I spared died anyway.

"Something wrong Tarble?" Tora asked, flying towards us. He didn't sound concerned, alert was closer to the mark.

Not trusting my voice, I shook my head. Tora frowned, not believing me, but before he could say anything, Shugesh patted me on the back hard enough I floated forward.

"He's probably just disappointed that he didn't get to do much. The one fight he did get was a one-shot," Shugesh decided with a laugh. Tora nodded, apparently thinking that made sense. It should be what's wrong with me.

"Well, that might change soon enough. Shugesh, you take the military depot and destroy those weapons. Me and Tarble will start hitting their cities," Tora informed, his words like a fist to the gut. I tried to control my expression, but I knew I failed. It only went unnoticed because they were too busy laughing to themselves, eager for the slaughter to come.

Civilians. I was about to start murdering civilians.

"Tarble, let's go." Tora got my attention, Shugesh already flying off. I looked up at him, my horror must have shown now because his eyes narrowed dangerously. I half expected him to blast me out of the sky for being unsaiyan like, for being weak. Instead, he patted me on the shoulder with an oversized hand.

"It's just like killing saibamen. They're just aliens," he encouraged, echoing my thoughts from earlier. It was so much easier said than done. I was still painfully aware of the blood still covering my fist, cooling it while the rest of my body felt uncomfortably hot. I swallowed thickly, giving him a shaky nod.

"Bardock's team is already done with their base and are hitting a city. There's one not far away from here. Follow me," Tora ordered, flying off. Taking a bracing breath, I followed after him. Running away wouldn't do me any good. Not when we were expecting a Reach counterattack and I doubt they would accept the excuse of I deserted mid-mission. Not that I would in the first place.

I was a saiyan warrior and saiyan warriors didn't run. From anything.

My body felt numb as we raced towards a city, within minutes I saw the skyline of it. Tall buildings that stretched upwards, beams of spotlights waved around, likely searching for us. The buildings didn't look like earths. The color was off, the windows were larger but less frequent, the shape was wrong too. It almost looked like a normal skyline, but just different enough to tell me that this wasn't earth or planet Vegeta.

"I'll take the right half, you can have the left," Tora stated, getting my attention. My insides squeezed, a lump forming in my throat. Before my very eyes, I saw what would become of the city. Ruined buildings, smoke, ash and millions of corpses.

"B-but," I started, hating how I stuttered. "Should...I transform with you? We go berserk in oozaru form, right?" I asked, trying to find a way out of this...massacre. "Won't I just attack you?"

If Tora noticed my pleading tone, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he answered, "since it's your first time, you'll just attack everything that moves, but I won't. My instincts will stop me from killing you if you do end up attacking me, so don't worry about that. You might get your butt kicked though."

I clenched my jaw, turning my attention to the city. The moons hanging above seemed to weigh down on me. Two of them were half-moons while the last was a full. All it would take was a few seconds to transform, I would go mad and destroy everything-

Wait, I thought to myself, thinking furiously. Tora would be going oozaru, and since only the mid-class and above could control themselves in oozaru form...Tora wouldn't remember anything while in that form. The same with Bardock and the others, they were already rampaging as oozarus.

All I had to do was wait for him to go oozaru, then I could leave the destroying of the city to him. He wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Shugesh could be a problem, but so long as I didn't see him then it would be fine. Plus, I doubt he would waste time looking for me when he could be rampaging and murdering aliens.

"Right," I confirmed, far more confidently. Tora took notice, glancing at me over his shoulder, before giving a mental shrug and a nod.

"Good luck. Try not to die." Tora said, splitting off to the right. I watched him go, once he got a far enough distance away, he looked up at the moons. The transformation started instantly. His body grew rapidly in every direction. His hair got longer, fur sprouting on his skin that thickened until it covered him. His armor stretched along with him, going from human size to the size of a truck, then to the size of a large building.

He sailed through the air, falling with grace until he slammed into a building. With his new weight, Tora crashed through it, barely slowing down before he hit the ground. It was impossible to hear anything over the sound of the building collapsing on itself, right up until Tora let out a mighty roar that seemed to shake the planet.

He stood over a hundred feet tall, dwarfing some buildings. Light built up in his massive ape-like maw, much like the dragon had back on planet Vegeta, before a massive beam erupted from it. It sliced through buildings like they weren't even there, a series of explosions lighting up the night sky.

The scouter picked up thousands of power levels that I couldn't see underneath a cloud of dust. Fleeing for their lives, but it wouldn't do them any good. I saw 50s, 60s, even an 80. They all compared to the power level that rampaged through the city. In his oozaru form, Tora had a power level of 40,000. The only ones that stood a chance against him were the other saiyans intent on destroying the planet.

For the Nepotins...all hope was lost.

Swallowing thickly, I turned away from the sight and flew away until I reached the other side of the city. Even then, I could hear Tora's beastly roars of rage as he butchered everything in his path. Thousands were already dead, possibly hundreds of thousands. Maybe even a million.

Spotting a tall building, I touched down at it, firmly keeping my back to Tora's rampage, relying on my scanner to pick up any stray attack in my direction. As soon as my feet touched down, I noticed I was shaking like a leaf, just as badly as the alien in the hangar was before. My stomach lurched, I tried to keep the vomit down, but it erupted out of my mouth with enough force I was driven to a knee.

Hacking and spitting, tears stung at my eyes. I refused to let them fall, wiping vomit from my lips. Even as a sob threatened to rip out of my throat, I kept it at bay with sheer force of will. I wouldn't cry. I couldn't cry for feeling bad when we came here to commit genocide. I knew this would happen. I knew every step of the way that this was exactly going to happen. I knew what we came here to do. I couldn't hide behind the excuse of ignorance.

It was just so different seeing it in person. Watching them die like that...so pointlessly...it made memories surface of my own death. A freak accident. A truck crossing three lanes, coming at me like I owed it money.

More vomit spewed from my mouth at the memory. Disgusted with it and myself. I knew what we came here to do. I was just too much of a coward to follow through.

My stewing self-loathing and regret was interrupted by the sound of a door sliding open. Instantly, I was in position to attack, only to freeze in my tracks when I saw what came through the door. It was another alien, this one much smaller than the others ones I saw so far. Young. A child. Like me.

It looked at me with wide eyes, the fine-haired curls underneath its cone a cherry red while its skin was a swirl of red and white. For a moment, it just stared at me, as shocked as I was. What was it doing here? Why wasn't it running away?

Slowly, I followed its gaze to my bloodstained fist. It's lime green eyes hardened, it's expression shifting from shock to resolve. It squared its shoulders, drawing itself to its full height as something began to shift behind it.

With dawning horror, I saw tendrils protrude from its back as liquid metal rushed forward to encase the alien. Most of its body was covered in black armor, only the top half of its chest being a dark blue. Along its sides and over its shoulders were arm like protrusions, cementing the image that a scarab was gripping it from behind. The very last thing to be encased was its head, it's steely gaze unwavering as the liquid metal crawled over its face, morphing into a black mask with blue markings around its yellow-tinted eyes.

A Reach scarab. Scouting class. My scouter read it, making my stomach drop to my feet.

4,000. It was as strong as Tora in his base state.

It raised a fist, the suit shifting around until the biggest laser gun I had ever seen. A light blue illuminated the night sky, growing brighter a moment before a laser the size of my head shot towards me. I already started moving the moment the weapon took shape by throwing myself to the side. I could see the bright blue glow behind me, another attack forming.

I hastily threw myself off the building, just in time for another beam to miss me by a foot. It slammed into a building across the street, carving a neat hole into it.

I couldn't take it in a fight. That would be like trying to take Tora- Tora! It was all too easy to find the giant rampaging ape, if only by the sounds of destruction. I shot towards the source, dodging another blast that cut through the street below, carving a line that edges glowed a cherry red. I pushed my speed to its limits, willing myself to go faster and faster and faster until the wind force was going to push my eyes to the back of my head.

It was a risk but I had to take it. Either Tora would kill me on accident, the scarab would shift its priorities or Tora would kill the scarab. Two out of three worked out in my favor. Those were probably the best odds I've had since I stepped out of the gestation tank.

I heard a screech behind me born from frustration and rage, making me look back just in time to see the weapon shift from one giant barrel to over a dozen. My eyes widened a split second before I dove to the side, slamming into a building and through a wall. Dozens of blue balls ripped through the building behind me, the scarab giving chase through the hole that I made.

Jerking out of the way as another barrage raced towards me, I slammed my way through the floor, finding myself in a bedroom- This was an apartment building. There were people here. Gritting my teeth, I quickly threw myself through another wall back into the street, hoping that I bought myself some time.

I flew in a crazed pattern, dodging, ducking, dipping and diving out of the way as the scarab persistently gave chase. Somehow, despite all odds, I saw Tora before I got hit. He had laid waste to half the city at this point, entire blocks reduced to rubble. Emotion, or more vomit, threatened to well in my chest but I pushed it to the side. Even as I heard a horrified scream from the scarab behind me that couldn't be drowned out by destruction Tora was causing.

Ignoring it, I raced towards Tora, the large ape taking notice of me. An oversized hand started to reach for me, his primal urges to destroy silencing any reason that he had since I wasn't in my own oozaru form. However, the scarab ended up saving me when he shot a focused blast at Tora. It was then that I realized that the weapon wasn't another laser, but a plasma beam.

Tora roared in rage rather than pain as plasma burnt a patch of his fur, his glowing red eyes locking onto the scarab, who screamed in defiance in response. It shot another blast of plasma, a larger blast that washed over its chest like water. The stench of burnt hair somehow managed to overpower the stench of death in the air.

Tora returned the attack with a blast of his own, a bright light carving the city in two as blocks were wiped away entirely. I drifted back, seeing that the scarab's full attention was on Tora. My plan worked. Shockingly. As interesting as watching the fight would be, there was a serious chance of me being killed by a stray blast or swipe, so I continued my retreat.

I drifted away from Tora, watching his back get further away. Now all I had to do was find a place to hide out at until...it...was done. Hopefully, this time I wouldn't land on a building with one of the three scarabs on the planet. Flying further away, my gaze was inevitably drawn towards the destruction below.

Bodies laid in the street, fires raged...I took in a slow breath, uncaring of the heavy taste of death on my tongue before I let it out even slower. The sight was seared into my mind, and I knew I would be seeing this night for the rest of my life. The smart thing would be to look away, to not torment myself and gain more nightmare fuel. Instead, I forced myself to look at it all.

It was for that reason that I noticed a handful of Nepotins. The uniforms that they wore marked them as military, driving a large saucer with a round cap on top. My eyes narrowed, wondering if I should just look away, to pretend that they weren't there. I might have done just that if the cap didn't split open, revealing a stunted looking gun barrel stretched into place with a few segmented locks.

I followed where it was aiming, unsure if I should bother interfering. Tora had a power level of 40,000. Plasma beams were barely noticed, so what good would it do? Tora would be fine. If anything, if he was aware, he'd be pissed for me getting involved. I should just keep going.

But...what if I was wrong? Then Tora gets seriously hurt. Or dies. What did that mean for me? Normally, I would say nothing but Bardock was weird. There was no telling how he would react.

Coming to a stop, my eyes narrowed at the gun, flickering to the battle raging some distance away. The scarab peppered Tora with plasma, darting around between swiped and attacks by inches. A frown tugged at my lips for a split second before my eyes went so wide that they could have fallen out of my head. They weren't aiming for Tora's back. They were aiming for his tail while the scarab distracted it.

The gun hummed with life, adjusting its aim. I shot forward but I knew as soon as I started moving that I wasn't going to make it. I was too far away. Tora's tail was going to be cut off. He might be able to win the fight anyway, but if Reach reinforcements showed up then victory became a lot less certain.

Unless… I thrust my hand out, feeling like an idiot with no idea what I was doing. A ki blast didn't magically fire out of my palm in response as I continued to get closer, time seemingly slowed with every inch I neared. I had no instructions on how to use ki blasts, no guidance. Only a feeling in my gut and desperate hope.

The well of power rose when I summoned on it like I did when I flew, this time, however, I willed it to my hand. A ki blast would fire out of my palm like I saw the others do. It would hit the gun, it would explode, and everything would be fine. In a fraction of a second, that scenario played out a thousand times in my head until my success became certainty.

A malformed blue ball of ki formed in my hand before shooting off towards the gun, its trajectory shaky, but I was so close that aim didn't matter. Exactly how I imagined it in my head, the ki blast punched a hole through the gun, destroying it. What I didn't expect was for the energy built up in the gun to explode outward with enough force I was sent flying away. Heat washed over my face, singeing my eyebrows before I managed to catch myself in midair.

When the heat passed, I cracked open an eye to see that nothing was left of the gun...or...the crew manning it. Swallowing thickly, I started to fly away, my part done. I spared one last glance at the battle raging some distance away, confident that Tora had it from here.

I looked just in time to see a blast of plasma racing towards me. The scarab looked at me, its piercing yellow eyes seemed to seeth hatred as it took a shot at me. I realized a moment before the plasma hit me that I wasn't going to get out of the way in time. Acting on instinct, I summoned another ki blast, launching it at the plasma. A short-lived battle raged between the two attacks that tried to overcome one another.

Then the plasma blast broke through my ki attack, continuing to race towards me. It slammed into my chest, washing over me like water, as everything became pain. Worse than the broken bones, worse than the acid. My chest burned with complete agony so overwhelming my concentration broke and I began to plummet to the ground. I crashed with a bounce, barely feeling the impact as I gasped in pain, unable to even scream.

My eyes looked down over their own will, finding blackened and charred armor still glowing from the heat. My shoulder pads protected my shoulders from the worst of the splashed plasma, though some landed on my arm below. It was a welcomed sight. I expected to see a hole in my chest.

Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to hit upwards, the pain easily the worst thing I experienced so far, each movement had me swallowing a scream. Even still, I looked up to see that the scarab wasn't done with me. It raced forward, screeching its rage and hate, the gun on its arm shifting until it became a blade. Ah. I ruined its plan. It was the distraction for the gun. If it was this mad, then there probably wasn't another one of those guns.

Good. That's good. At least I managed to accomplish something before dying a pathetic death.

It only took a second for the scarab to reach me, I tried to keep my face schooled when it touched down in front of me, its blade raised high. It was the same size as me, but from this angle it seemed impossibly big. Moonlight shone off its pristine blade as it rose, ready to end my life with a simple thrust.

"I'm...a saiyan warrior," I said. I thought I would be more afraid now there was no doubt I would die. Maybe it was just because of the pain, but I felt shockingly calm. Every day for months I was beaten within an inch of my life to grow stronger. To have the right to call myself a saiyan warrior. To call myself my father's son.

And every single time before, no matter how battered and broken I was, I got back up and threw myself back at my opponent. Only this time…

I barely felt it when the blade plunged down, sinking into my chest, directly through my heart. Everything else hurt too much, so I only felt a dull pressure in my chest. I looked at it, my blood staining the blade. The sadistic prick went as far as to twist it. Though...maybe that was fair. We did come to this plane to murder millions of its people, so yeah, maybe this was fair.

But...I was a saiyan warrior. A fighter. I never gave up and I never gave in. I...I...I was already a killer.

I could taste blood in my mouth as I gripped the blade, a sense of calmness falling over me. I couldn't die here. I wouldn't. Not after everything. This was a second lease on life, no matter how brutal and painful it was so far. I died once already. I wouldn't do so again. Especially like this. Even if it meant...

Because I...I…

I looked up at the sky above, the moons hanging over me and everything went red.


	7. Taste of Death

"Father," Vegeta started hesitantly, a nutrient bar pausing before it entered his stomach with the other thirty he ate as an after spar snack. He shifted in his seat, his cape serving as a convenient cushion, trying not to look up at his father. Instead, he looked out at the great stretch of desert that served as their training ground.

Dunes that towered over hundreds of feet above them, easily two oozorus tall. Some were flattened, collapsing from the ferocity of their spar, or vanishing entirely. The air shimmered from the heat, his brow soaked with sweat alongside his undersuit. Vegeta would sooner bite off his tongue before he complained, though.

"Yes, my son?" Father returned, tossing the core of a colorful fruit into his mouth before swallowing it whole. "Speak your mind. Hesitation is unbecoming of you."

Swallowing his nervousness, Vegeta straightened his shoulders as he spoke clearly. "Why did you allow that low-class trash to take my brother?" He asked- no, demanded! He was the prince of all saiyans, he asked for nothing!

His father glanced at him, revealing a deep cut over his eye. Dried blood covered half of his father's face - his father was more excited over the wound that he managed to give him than Vegeta was. "He is not your brother," he reminded lightly, causing the younger Vegeta to scowl as he looked away.

Vegeta chose not to argue the point, his father having refused his demands to acknowledge Tarble as elite-class. Regardless of how little sense it made. Raditz, one of his squadmates, was considered mid-class with a power level of 750 just because he was born with one over 100. And apparently that was somehow impressive. It was ridiculous. Tarble's royal blood showed — barely out of the tank and he already had a power level nearing 700. It wouldn't be long before Tarble left that long-haired jumped up trash behind altogether and he would still be called low-class. As if their father could produce offspring so weak.

"Why did I allow it?" His father echoed, grabbing another fruit from a basket that the servants delivered. He gave Vegeta a long look, a frown tugging at his lips. Vegeta hastily looked down, suddenly finding his bloodied knuckles so very interesting. Even still, he gave a shallow nod, confirming the question.

"Because it gives me the chance to get rid of Bardock." His father answered, earning a puzzled look from Vegeta. He knew of who his father spoke of. There were few who didn't. Bardock was expected to rise to the mid-level within a few years, in addition to being the father of a mid-class, however weak Raditz might be. Not to mention the technique he created recently.

"Bardock?" Vegeta repeated, not expecting that. What did he have to do with anything? "If you need him to be disposed of, I can-"

"No, you cannot, my son." Father denied, eating half of it in a single bite. "There are times when you can't take action directly. This is one of those times." Vegeta scowled, his face twisting as he swallowed his retorts. That made no sense. If Bardock needed to die then why not just kill him?

"Bardock put himself out on a limb with this stunt. With any luck, it will break underneath him and send him straight to hell." His father mused, a savage grin on his face as he finished the fruit with another bite.

Vegeta didn't understand, feeling like he was missing something but too afraid- no, not afraid. He feared nothing! He was too...cautious to ask his father what he meant.

However, his father seemed to sense his confusion. A disappointed sigh escaped him, it took everything that Vegeta had not to flinch at the sound. "Vegeta, would do you think would happen if we killed Bardock?" He asked, adopting a cold tone that meant his father expected him to have the answer ready.

He didn't. The obvious answer was that they lost a halfway decent low-class warrior, but in his experience, the obvious answer wasn't the one that his father was looking for. When he didn't answer, his father huffed, clearly disappointed with him.

"Bardock is rather famous amongst the low-class. He fathered a mid-class warrior, he holds one of the highest successful mission records in Frieza-force history and he did it all with a power level below 5,000." His father explained as if he were telling him the answer, but Vegeta still struggled to understand what he was getting at.

What was the worst that could happen? Bardock might have some talent as a tactician - enough so that his father had him study some of Bardock's mission reports, but tactics were nothing compared to power. Vegeta knew he could kill him in an instant.

"It is not who Bardock, but what he represents is why we cannot act against him, my child. He is the hope of the low-class. He is proof that they can rise above their station," Father said, smirking at my sneer. Those worms thought that climbing to mid-class would somehow mean they weren't trash. It was pathetic. And hilarious. "I agree that it's ridiculous, but the low-class need that hope. Otherwise, they would get...ideas."

"Ideas?" Vegeta echoed, not liking the sound of it.

"They are complacent because they believe they can rise above their station with enough effort. However, if they see that their hope is executed, they will doubt if they could become more than they are. If they doubt, then they will rebel." His father explained, draining a water container in a few gulps.

"...so?" Vegeta hesitantly asked. So what if the low-class rebelled? It could be fun crushing a rebellion.

"It would be annoying. We would have to catch and make our own food and clean up after ourselves." His father stated with a huff, sounding irritated by the thought of it. Vegeta grimaced, feeling much the same. He looked down at the nutrient bar in his hand, trying to imagine making it with how own two hands. He didn't know where he would start.

"We could just replace them with slaves," Vegeta ventured, finishing off the bar. That might be a good idea. Getting rid of all the trash that cluttered up the saiyan race, leaving behind only the strong. It would be fitting.

His father shrugged, grabbing another fruit. "Most races aren't strong enough to survive on planet Vegeta. Those that can are too expensive." He said, chuckling when Vegeta tsked. He reached out, running his hands through Vegeta's hair as he continued. "My point, Vegeta, is that blunt force is not always the answer. You possess many gifts, the most important of them is your mind."

Vegeta didn't agree and his father knew it. "King Vegeta the First knew this back when the truffles still lived and this planet was called Plant. We were stronger physically, but they had numbers, technology and supplies. For ten years we fought against the truffles, the longest war in our history. It would have been over much sooner with our defeat if King Vegeta the First wasn't a brilliant strategist."

Vegeta knew the story. Every saiyan did. His ancestor used ambush tactics to weaken the enemy, and only fighting in pitched battles when victory was certain and overwhelming. It all accumulated in one final battle when the full moon came that only appeared every hundred years, finishing the truffles.

Despite himself, Vegeta saw his father's point. Even still… "Why does he have to die?" He asked, earning a pat on the head of approval for asking the right question.

"Because he may not be a threat now, but he will be. His team is comprised of some of the most promising warriors, all of them could raise to the mid-class. All of them loyal to him." His father explained, making Vegeta clench his jaw in outrage. They were loyal to a low-class warrior instead of their king?! "In time, they may all become mid-class, provided that none of that class die during the war, the mid-class will be comprised of nine that are loyal to me with five loyal to him."

"Four?" Vegeta questioned with a frown, opening up another nutrient bar. Not counting Bardock, there would only be four of his team that would be mid-class within a few years.

"His son, Raditz." His father answered, earning a poleaxed look from Vegeta. How did that make any sense? Low-class saiyans didn't have families, not like the elite. They didn't need them, so why would Raditz pick his father over his king?

His father ignored it, though, choosing to continue the lesson. "It would be a civil war. We would crush them, of course, but we would inevitably take losses as well. Worse, it could summon Frieza's attention." His father made him look up at him, his expression grave. "And should Frieza decides that he prefers Bardock over us, we will be slaughtered."

Vegeta's blood went cold at the thought of Frieza. Their meetings were few, but each one left an impression. Never before had he met someone that could so...effortlessly kill him. He didn't deny his father's words, knowing that they were true. Suddenly, the indirect approach made much more sense.

"That is why I agreed to his request to go on that mission. Tarble, as talented as he is, will most likely die. He simply isn't ready. It is a waste, but his death gives me justification for Bardock's execution and will more than make up for it." His father finally answered his original question, a satisfied smirk on his face. Either he was pleased with the plan he made or because Vegeta understood the lesson in full.

He only saw one problem with it. Tarble said that he wouldn't die.

Vegeta believed him.

…

Everything was hazy, my head felt like it was full of cotton, my ears stuffed with it as well, while my eyes were glazed over. I blinked once, twice, then a third time to clear them, dimly aware that I felt the wind on my face. Despite trying to keep them open, my eyes drifted back shut, sleep trying to claim me again-

I woke up when my face slammed into the ground, my body hitting so hard that I bounced. A grunt escaped me on the second landing, the shock quickly leaving, replaced with overwhelming pain. My entire body ached, every muscle feeling like it was stretched like taffy with countless scrapes and burns that covered me.

"Ughh," I groaned, forcing my eyes open as I threw myself onto my back, looking up at the night sky. What happened to me? Did I get my butt kicked by the saibamen again? A better question might be why I was seeing lights up above - a bright white light almost the same size as the sun before it expanded outwards explosively, a white ring marked the perimeter of...of...a moon...blowing up.

"Uh," I started, staring up stupidly as everything hit me all at once. The mission, my role in it- a hand went up to my chest, feeling a groove where the blade cut through my armor. There was blood, but it was dried. Feeling the wound itself, to my shock, I felt that it was healed. No fresh blood, no pain or anything.

A surge of adrenaline helped me get to my feet, ignoring my body's screams for me to stay down. I kept my eyes to the sky, searching for another moon, only to find traces of their destruction. The moons were gone, meaning no Blutz waves, meaning no oozaru form...which meant that we were on a hostile alien planet without the ability to steamroll over them.

A weight settling in my stomach, I tore my gaze away to search my surroundings for a hint of where I was and for my team. I stood in the smoldering remains of a building, rubble surrounding me that still burned uncontrollably. Destruction stretched far beyond me - it was impossible to tell from this angle, but the entire city looked like it had been flattened. It looked like a scene ripped right out of hell.

"Ugh," I groaned, straightening out my body as my mind raced. I needed to find the others. Destroying the moons was one hell of an opening move to a counter-attack, so how would they follow it up? Normal soldiers were useless against us, so that could only mean they would use scarabs. Throwing their slave-soldiers by the handful would be wasteful, and too much. No, I would send a vanguard unit - they were already stronger than us, and, while I couldn't speak for the others, I was spent.

A sound brought my attention back to the sky, the sounds of a faint woosh, almost like the hymn of a-

Through the smoke emerged a half dozen space ships, a compact design, with its wings wide wings dipping down and curving inward. Dark orange lights marked its front and back - from the angle that they descended, they almost looked like a creature than a spaceship. My admiring was cut short when the claw-like protrusion from underneath began firing yellow bolts of energy, all of them at the same time.

They slammed into the ground, breaking concrete with large thumps and explosions of dust and rubble. My eyes went wide, my body moving before I realized it. I threw myself out of the way, hiding behind a large pile of rubble. I could feel the vibrations of where the bolts slammed into it, though not through it, thankfully.

My relief was short-lived when the ships split in half, arcing to the side to make a second run. Hiding wouldn't solve anything, just delay the inevitable. I needed to run or destroy them. Given that my body felt too battered to run, and they controlled the skies, running would just get me killed.

I floated off the ground, shooting towards one group of the ships. My internal energy felt diminished, emptied out almost. When I formed a ki attack in my hand, it flickered like a dying flame in the wind. Fearing the worst, I fired it before it could vanish entirely. It sailed towards one of the ships, I half expected it to take evasive to dodge my attack. Instead, my ki blast hit it dead center, the ship exploding before falling to the ground, a trail of smoke marking its decent.

Wishing to follow up a good start, I dug deep as I forced myself to fly faster, the other two finished the maneuver as if they hadn't lost a companion. It was too smooth, too coordinated. I couldn't tell for certain, but I was sure that they were drones. With no hesitation, I lobbed another ki blast at them, forcing them to split further and delay firing on me.

A pang of exhaustion nearly overwhelmed me, feeling suddenly weak. It felt like I was on empty, running on fumes. Even still, I rushed towards one of the ships, using a burst of speed to close the distance between us. I touched down roughly, hard enough that the ship dipped low enough to clip a shell of a building, making it collapse completely behind us. So close to the glowing orange bits, the looked important, I decided, so I punched them until they blew up.

Instantly the ship began to fall, only then did I realize that they were like our ships floaters. Another ship, one from the other group, was hot on our trail. Its guns glowed, firing on me and the ship. Reacting instantly, I kicked down on the back, flipping the ship so it served as a brief shield from the blaster fire.

My shield exploded not long after, fire and smoke washing over me, but it went ignored. Gathering up some of the last dregs of my ki, I formed another ball of it in my hand and fired it through the smoke. I heard another explosion, telling me that my aim was dead on. Three down, three to go.

Swallowing a pant for breath, I flew away from the wreckage of my shield, darting towards a half standing building as I searched the skies for my opponents. One announced its presence with blaster fire, bright yellow blasts racing towards me as it came from the left. My small size was a blessing, offering a small target, which made it easy to dodge the fire. I waited until it was practically on top of me before I hit it with a ki blast, it tried to swerve out of the way at the last second, but it was too late.

Dodging the flaming wreckage, I sucked down air greedily, sweat pouring from my forehead. Just two left. Then I would regroup with the squad and we could get out of here. My moment of respite was ended by more blaster fire, this time coming from my left. I threw myself out of the way, only for more blaster fire to rain down upon me from above.

Making a split decision, I rushed upwards, zigzagging out of the way of dozens of blasts. It didn't try to swerve out of the way as I neared, intending to hit me to take me down with it, only I did a tight flip out of the way, slipping underneath it, my legs shooting out at the last second to kick it from underneath. The blasters tilted just enough to rip the ship below into shreds.

With an exhausted grunt, I punched the ship to death, it exploding, before I lowered myself to the ground. This planet might have less gravity than planet Vegeta, but it seemed to be a hundred times heavier with how I collapsed as soon as I touched down. For a moment, I just sat there on my hands and knees, beads of sweat pouring off me in rivers, the only sounds around me were the crackling of fire and my heavy breathing.

Then the sound of rubble shifting underfoot alerted me that I wasn't alone. With strength that I didn't have, I shot to my feet, my hands at the ready to-

"Tora?" I asked, seeing the other saiyan approach. His armor had seen better days, a few cuts and scrapes littered his skin, but he looked fine. Much better than me at any rate.

"Tarble. You figured out how to use energy blasts, good job." He complimented, approaching, stepping over...over a corpse. "I tried to get in touch with you earlier, but it looks like you lost your scouter."

Swallowing thickly, my throat feeling like it was lined with sand, I nodded. "How'd you keep yours?" I asked, relaxing ever so slightly.

"An old trick veterans pick up. I'll show you some other time, but for now we need to group up with Bardock." Tora explained, sounding far too calm. I frowned at him, narrowing my eyes in a silent demand for an explanation. They blew up the moons, they were counter-attacking, where was the panic?

"Come on, Shugesh is already there," Tora informed, taking off. I wiped the sweat from my forehead before following behind him. If he wasn't panicking then, as annoying as it was, it was a good sign. No one was dead, and he was confident in his ability to win or escape. Or, at least, he was confident that Bardock could win this or escape.

"What about Leek? He was by the moons, right?" I asked, trying to will myself to get a second wind.

"He and the ship are fine. Bardock saw this coming, so he had Leek take measures. He's hiding in the rubble of the moons now." He answered, getting a nod from me as I searched for any more aircraft. Everything was so dark, from the ground to the inky black sky, making it hard to actually see anything.

The only thing that illuminated the darkness were fires raging below from destroyed cities. We left the one Tora had destroyed, passing through another and approaching a third. I wonder how many power levels my scouter could pick up if I still had it. How many were left on the planet?

Not many, I would guess. How long had it been since we landed here? An hour? Two? Going Ozoru made it hard to tell, but it couldn't have been long.

Eventually, Tora angled downwards and I followed. It was hard to make them out in the darkness, but I could make out Bardock's form waving us down. His gaze raked over me, lingering on the mark on my armor. He cocked an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Uh, I landed on a building with a scarab in it. It stabbed me before I went oozaru." I explained, leaving a whole lot out of the story. There was no real reason why he had to know I tried to pass the scarab off to Tora and tried to sit out on massacring the natives.

Bardock frowned, eyeing the mark. "The oozoru transformation saved your life. Good job on not dying." He complimented, getting a stunned look from me followed by a hesitant nod. Bardock. Compliment. Those were two things that didn't go together like oil and water or pineapple and pizza.

Then he jerked his head to the side, "come on. The others are waiting." Bardock said, turning around and walking into what looked like a tunnel, though it would have been impossible to tell with a passing glance. Mountains of rubble hide it from view, perfect for regrouping on a hostile planet. Tora quickly followed with me bringing up the rear.

Inside, I saw that the tunnel was a lot larger than I thought it would be. Somewhere around the size of a subway, but there weren't any rails of any kind. Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh were all there, sitting around a fire with chunks of meat roasting over it. They all sported some scrapes and bruises, but I was by far the one in the worst shape. Not surprising.

"Tarble? You survived? Shugesh, you owe me your pay for this mission," Fasha informed triumphantly, waving me over to sit by her. I obeyed, too tired to be surprised that there was a bet if I lived or not. I looked at the food longingly, reaching out to a chunk of meat with a skewer stuck through it. The skin was burnt and uneven, the long narrow shape of it making it a poor choice to lean over the fire-

My gaze landed on the end of the meat. Were...those fingers? Swallowing thickly, the jokes and good cheer around me falling on deaf ears as my gaze slowly drifted over the other chunks of meat. A leg, another arm, chunks of a torso…

They were eating nepotins.

All of a sudden my appetite vanished like smoke in the wind.

"My scouter is picking up a vanguard unit and three scouts," Bardock informed, taking a seat next to Tora as he grabbed a leg. I watched him take a bite of it, swallowing before speaking. "We have some time to rest, but it won't be long until they find this place."

"I took care of most of the army on the planet, so whatever soldiers are left came on the fleet," Shuegsh said, chewing on a bone, it crunching loudly. I was snapped out of my revulsion by what he said. Fleet? What fleet?

Fasha saw my confused look and explained in a low whisper, "the Reach is reinforcing the planet was a fleet. Borgos would have a better idea of what kinds, but it's a small one instead of a proper war fleet. A dozen ships, some really big ones too." Upon seeing my increasingly worried look, because there were five of us against a fleet of ships, she rubbed my head reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. We'll be fine."

Why were they so confident? The moons were destroyed and we were going up against five scarabs, two of them vanguards. We were trapped here.

"Hm. Really hate to use these things, but whatever gets the job done." Bardock continued, looking into a sack that Shugesh tossed at him. The smaller, rounder saiyan gave a careless shrug.

"I'm fine with it. Fighting ships just isn't the same as fighting a scarab, you know?" He dismissed, earning an agreeing nod from the other saiyans.

I looked at the sack, which was roughly the size of me, the bag lumpy so it was a bunch of things instead of one big one. What was inside, I couldn't even guess. If Bardock had Shugesh go get it in the middle of battle, it must be important though.

"I hear you," he agreed before he stood straighter, his gaze sweeping over all of us. "Right now, the Reach thinks that they had us cornered, pinned exactly where they want us. And that is exactly where we want them." He started with a savage grin, the low flickering light making him appear like a demon in the shadows. All things considered, we were worse than any demon.

"Tora, Borgos, Shugesh, you're with me. We're going to make a desperate break for the flagship hovering in orbit. One last hurrah," Bardock said, earning matching savage grins and an annoyed look from Fasha. Bardock saw it but didn't comment in favor of explaining his plan. "Fasha, you and Tarble are going to slip into space while we distract them."

Wait...what?

He tossed the sack at Fasha, who looked in, her expression told me she was unimpressed. "Antigrain warheads. Put them on the ships and blow them up. Our exit will be cleared, Leek will pick you up when he sees the light show."

What?

"Fine. The detonator in here?" Fasha asked, rummaging through the sack in search of it. What...what were antigrain warheads? Anything that named warhead sounded dangerous and not something you shoved into a bag. She found it before Bardock could answer and tucked it between her breasts.

I was seeing one really big problem with this plan.

"What about you?" I asked, wishing I could take the words back as soon as I said them when everyone gaze turned to me. Bardock sent him a questioning look, so I continued, "how are you going to deal with the scarabs? The moons are gone and…" Saying that they weren't strong enough to beat them didn't sound like a good idea.

Bardock just smirked, "you let me worry about that." He answered cryptically before jerked his chin at me. "Now go to sleep. You'll need it."

"But," I started, despite myself, shifting from foot to foot. Bardock saighed, gesturing at me in a way that said 'spit it out.' "Do we have to use weapons? Can't we just use ki attacks instead?" The idea of it left a bad taste in my mouth. The ships before seemed flimsy, so we could defiantly do it. Using weapons, especially alien weapons, just...I didn't want to do it.

Bardock sighed, striding over to me. For a split second, I thought he was going to hit me for questioning him. Instead, he dropped to a knee in front of me. He looked at me for a moment, letting me hear Fasha whisper to Tora, "What's a ki attack?"

"Tarble, I'm going to teach you something. It's a lesson that most of our race never learns, and because of it, hundreds of us die." Bardock started, staring a hole right into my head, I couldn't bring myself to so much as blink. "This lesson took me years to learn, and it cost me blood, sweat, and tears to do it. Do you want to know what it is?"

Not trusting my voice, I gave a jerky nod. Bardock stared at me for a moment longer, dragging out the tension. Then he spoke.

"Pride has its place. The battlefield isn't one of them," Bardock stated, pretty much throwing everything that I had learned in the tank into the garbage bin. Pride was everything to a saiyan. We needed it as much as we needed food, water, and a good fight. As if sensing my confusion, Bardock continued. "We could use energy attacks to destroy the ships, but what if you can't punch through the armor?"

I didn't answer. Bardock's eyes narrowed into a glare, "that wasn't a rhetoric question. What happens if you can't destroy the fleet with your own power?"

I shifted, not having to think too deeply about the outcome. "We die," I answered. We would be overwhelmed and then we would die.

"Exactly. With the warheads, they're guaranteed to work. Don't let your pride cloud your judgment - the mission comes first, the team second, and your pride last. That's how we win. Do you understand?"

Did I? It made sense. It resonated with the part of me was still human. But that part of me seemed so small now. When I was human, I would have never killed. I would have never participated in a genocide. If I was still human, I would have given up against the first saibaman and died.

Bardock noticed that I was mulling it over before he stood back up, towering over me. "Now, go to sleep you'll need it."

With heavy thoughts, I turned away from the group, curling into a ball and closed my eyes. I thought sleep would have claimed me instantly, but it didn't. Maybe it was the fact I was sleeping on the ground, or the fact I was sleeping wasn't a good enough reason for the others to lower their voices. They laughed and joked, reminiscing over past missions.

I felt like an outsider. I shouldn't, the logical part of my brain told me. They had known each other for years, they fought together in countless battles. I knew them for less than a week. Even still, logic rang hollow when I knew that they would only laugh at me.

Sleep refused to claim me, so I slipped into myself like I did so many times before. My brain tried to latch on to countless thoughts of what happened in the past few hours, but I refused to think about them. All through the night, I refused to think about anything.

Time passed painfully slow but eventually, I felt someone shaking my shoulder to wake me up.

"Hm?" My eyes snapped open before the first shake could finish, seeing Fasha's face hovering above me. I sat up, not feeling refreshed, but stronger. It would have to do.

"It's time," was all she said before straightening. I pushed myself back to my feet, no sooner than I had, I felt something being pressed into my hand. A deep green scouter. Looking up, I saw it was Bardock that gave it to me.

"Don't use it unless you have to. The Reach will be monitoring for any communications and this plan hinges on you and Fasha not getting caught." He informed as I put the scouter on. Then he put a mask in my hand, similar to the one I wore in a healing tank. It was connected to a canister that he hooked up to my lower back without an explanation until he finished. "This is so you can breathe, don't let that hose get cut. You'll suffocate and die."

Um. Where was I going? I stared up at Bardock for a moment, the context clues painting a picture that I didn't like. At all. "The ships...are in space?" I ventured, getting a nod from the elder saiyan. Right. Of course, they were. I looked down at my armor, my undersuit not faring much better.

"You should be strong enough to survive the vacuum," Bardock answered, like what he said wasn't completely ridiculous. Though, as if to double-check, he scanned me with his own scouter, his eyes going wide when it settled on a number. I read the number backward, my eyes doing the same.

"The hell, 660? Weren't you at 630 yesterday?" He snapped, torn between sounding angry and surprised. His sharp tone caught the attention of everyone else, double-checking with their own scouter. I shifted from foot to foot underneath all the attention, unsure how to respond.

30 points, easily the largest jump yet. Absentmindedly, my hand went up to where the scarab stabbed me, my mind thinking furiously. I noticed it back when I was training with the saibamen, but my biggest jumps in pl happened when I was nearly beaten to death. Judging from the intense look Bardock gave the mostly healed wound, I think he noticed it too.

"660 and he's barely out of the pod? King Vegeta's kids really are freaks," Shugesh commented, breaking the intense silence. I heard some chuckling from the others while Bardock shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"Yeah, you should be good," Bardock said, his expression shifting back to a serious mask. "Stick with Fasha. We're heading out now." He said, turning to exit the tunnel we spent the night in. I swallowed thickly, putting on the mask to hide my expression. I double-checked the oxygen in it three times before we stood underneath the sun, the sky a chocolate brown, the white swirls standing out more now that the sun was out.

The destruction was also more apparent. Fires had died out, though trails of smoke still drift towards the sky, mountains of rubble stood in place of a city. At some point I must have gone nose blind to it, but I knew the air reeked with death. My gaze caught a body half-buried underneath chunks of stone, its blood long since died on the pavement. I quickly looked away.

"Don't die, any of you. I can't collect from a corpse," Fasha said, tapping fists with her squadmates.

"Don't remind me. I'm so deep in the hole I might as well be buried in it," Shugesh said with an exaggerated shudder. Tora gave her a lopsided grin and a nod, while Borgos and Bardock just nodded.

It was a simple goodbye of people expecting to see each other again. Whatever Bardock had up his nonexistent sleeves, it must be one hell of a trump card. With that, the four of them blasted off into the distance, rapidly making their way to a flagship hovering in low orbit somewhere. Before long, they were little more than specs in the distance.

"You ready?" Fasha questioned, tapping the top of my head with the bottom of her fist.

I was about to fly into space with no protective equipment. I nodded, trying to hide my doubts. The mask definitely helped because Fasha seemed to believe me this time.

"Good. Take these warheads," Fasha started, handing me a bag of antigrain warheads. They were shockingly light. Curious, I glanced inside and saw they looked like a really big bullet, roughly the size of a liter of soda. There were six in total. "Stick one on each ship, flat side to the ship so they stay there. Don't get caught either, because they'll swarm you with drones and then you're done for. Got that?"

Again I nodded.

"Then let's go," Fasha said, floating upwards, her own bag of antigrain warheads in hand with her mask secured. I floated up after her, feeling less sure about this by the second. Could I even break atmosphere without any kind of spaceship? It seemed insane.

Even still, I followed after Fasha. The ground grew more distant with every passing second, the clouds getting closer until we passed through them. The air grew colder as we continued, leaving the clouds behind us as well. Eventually, I felt less and less wind on my face, everything getting even colder until it felt like I was sticking my face against dry ice. It didn't hurt, not really, but it was really uncomfortable. The only places it did hurt were my cuts and scrapes.

And, just like that, I was in space. Without a spaceship or suit. Despite it all, laughter bubbled from my chest, my gaze sweeping over the planet below. It was the same view as before, but this time there wasn't a plane of glass to separate us. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that had changed.

In the distance, I saw the fleet that hovered just outside of orbit. All of them shared the same theme as the ships I destroyed earlier, though hundreds of times larger. The largest of them was twice the size of all the others, and each of the others were the size of a skyscraper. Tiny specs rained down from the ships to the planet, it was landing new armies on the planet.

I couldn't risk using my scouter, but I could only assume that the scarabs would be mixed in. Between the three of them, I believe they could take on one vanguard unit, but more than that? With scouts providing support?

Shaking my head, I dismissed the thoughts to focus on the task at hand. They could deal with the armies. We had to deal with space ships.

Following Fasha, we flew towards the ships. In space, the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat thundering in my ears. Every second we got closer, I expected the ships to start to turn, alerted to our presence. Instead, we got closer and closer and closer and closer until the ships were close the ships were all that I could see.

I felt a hand tap my shoulder, nearly making me jump out of my skin. Fasha pointed to me, then half of the ships, the back half. My gaze racked over them, swallowing thickly, before I gave her a firm nod. I could do this. Fasha returned my nod before she flew off towards her half of the ships. I turned towards my half, ignoring my fears and my doubts.

Flying forward, if the tension was bad before, it was downright unbearable now. I tried to control my breathing as the first ship drew closer and closer and closer and closer until I could reach out and touch it. I looked around, expecting every single ship in the fleet to round on me and open fire. A second that felt like a century passed, and when nothing happened, only then did my hands dip into my bag to grab a warhead.

I stuck it to the ship how Fasha instructed, and it stuck there. I looked at it for a moment, the weapon jutting out against the sleek metal before I looked up at the ship. It was massive, completely filling up my field of view. I didn't know what an antigrain warhead could do, but it didn't look like it could do much to ships like these.

If Bardock was willing to bet it all on them working, then I guess I didn't have much of a choice but to hope that they would.

Floating away from the ship, I drifted towards another ship, careful not to move too fast or else the ships would take notice of me. After what felt like hours, but was less than a minute, I reached the ship and repeated the process. I spared a glance below me, still seeing pods raining down on the planet. They were bigger than ours, closer to the size of busses. Some didn't go straight down in favor of arcing out, covering the surface of the planet.

With two down, I went to do the same with the other four. Each second was unbearable, the feeling of vulnerability of knowing that there was nothing I could do if they noticed me was terrifying. I was lucky that it was too cold for me to sweat, or I would be picking pieces of ice off my forehead.

To my shock, as I placed the last warhead, I managed to do it without being noticed. With my heart pounding, my mouth uncomfortably dry, I spared a glance at my oxygen tank and saw that I still had plenty of time left. This was...easy. Incredibly easy. Shockingly easy. Where was the other shoe and when was it going to drop?

As if to answer my question, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. A bright light that I was rapidly recognizing as an attack caught my attention. For a split second, I thought that I jinxed myself and the attack was meant for me. When I followed where it was going, I saw Fasha flying between the ships, the blast slamming into a ship as she flew out of the way. Then my eyes darted to the source of the blast and my stomach dropped so hard that I'm surprised it didn't fall out of me.

In sleek black armor, a large scarab warrior fired another blast at Fasha. It looked almost identical to the one that nearly killed me, only it stood the same size as Borgos, the dark blue replaced with a dark gray. The scarab shifted on its back, turning into a jetpack, before it launched itself at Fasha, closing the distance between them in a blink of an eye.

The vanguard unit.

It threw a punch that Fasha barely managed to duck under, trying to counter only for a fist to be planted into her stomach. When she bent over involuntarily, a knee smashed into her face as a hand held her head in place. I saw her mask break under the blow, air leaking out as the black scarab grabbed her by the hair and slammed the back of her head into the flagship.

I froze, watching the scene. I couldn't fight that thing. Fasha was so much stronger than me, and as she slipped out of the hold and countered, it was clear who was winning. With her mask broken, air continuously leaked out and it wouldn't be long before she suffocated.

She has the detonator. I didn't see the bag, so either she dropped it or all of the warheads were in position.

Fasha blocked a punch with a forearm, returning it with an elbow to the face that the black scarab accepted. In return, one of the armlike bulges along its collar bone lifted up, lashing out and cutting the thin tube that fed Fasha oxygen. Her eyes widened, the air escaping her broken mask stopping instantly.

My body moved before I could think better of it. She had the detonator and even losing, she stood a much better chance of beating the thing than I did. I shot forward, a ki blast forming in my hands that I launched at the scarab. In the void of space, there was no warning of my attack until it slammed into it, doing exactly zero damage.

Not that I expected it to. Fasha seized the opportunity instantly, slipping away from the scarab. She sent me a look when I approached, but there was no time for explanations. To stop my lungs from exploding, I emptied them of air before I took off my mask and tank and passed it over to her. Her eyes widened, taking it, and no sooner than she had the black scarab was on us. I darted away, the scarab firing a blast at me, but it knew who was the bigger threat was.

Fasha fired off a ki blast to get its attention firmly on her as I dodged out of the way, feeling the heat of the attack wash over me. We needed a plan. Giving Fasha my oxygen tank bought us some time, but she couldn't win against that thing. Already, my lungs felt like they were burning, it wouldn't be long before I suffocated.

Forcing my heart to slow in my chest, I searched for any other threats, finding none. It was clear that they thought the black scarab would be enough to deal with us, and they probably weren't wrong.

My mind raced, my lungs burned, and time was ticking by with every second. We couldn't beat it in a straight-up fight, it was just too strong and we were too weak, so we needed something else. We needed-! The warheads!

The warheads were small but they stuck out like a sore thumb when you were looking for them. It only took a second to find the one stuck on the flagship when all of it was seamless metal. If it could take out a ship like this, then it could take out a scarab.

Then the question became how to use it against the scarab. Bringing the fight near the warhead would just get us all killed in the explosion. We had to get the scarab by the ship by itself. Maybe take out the scarab and kick it towards it? No, even if I jumped in, we wouldn't be able to scratch it, much less exploit an obvious weakness.

I needed...an attack. A powerful attack that would send the scarab flying. I wasn't strong enough to do it physically, and with its attention of Fasha, and me running out of air, I would only get one shot.

I needed…the answer I sought came to mind.

My hands cupped at my side, adopting a stance that it felt like I saw a thousand times. A ball of ki formed in my hands, beams of blue light slipping between my fingers. As I pumped more and more ki into the ball, it tried to grow but I forced it to be compact. Images of what it was supposed to look like helped me give it shape.

"Ka...me…" I started, my lips miming the words because my lungs were completely empty. The ball grew in strength as I put my all into it, knowing this was my best and only shot. "Ha...me…" It felt like it was going to explode in my hands, like a grenade that I was left cooking for too long.

"HAAAA!" I screamed, the kamehameha erupting from my hands, a cone of blue ki rather than the call of it that I expected. Either way, it had to work. It raced towards the scarab, Fasha's scouter must have given her an early warning because she disengaged. I saw it look up at the attack, but it was too late to get out of the way.

It struck head on, forcing the scarab back, consuming it in blue light, as it raced towards the flagship. Fasha must have realized what I was doing because as soon as the scarab got close enough to the warhead, a blast of light filled my vision, rendering me blind. Unlike every explosion before, I didn't hear or feel the aftermath. When the light faded, I looked at the flagship and saw it was broken in half.

The middle portion of the ship had just been deleted, there was no debris or anything. The closest thing I could compare it to was it was as if someone took an eraser to the middle portion. Looking behind me, I saw that the same happened to all the other ships. The fleet was destroyed.

We won.

Despite it all, despite what this victory meant, despite the oceans of blood that now stained my hands, I felt pride.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my , so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	8. Taste of Life

Like so many times before, I woke up in a healing pod. The mask around me was a reassurance, I didn't feel any pins and needles so my injuries must have healed already. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of bubbles washing over me as I rested. My mind cleared of any thought, blissfully blank as I balanced on the border of sleep.

Eventually, like all good things, my rest and blissful state of oblivion came to an abrupt end when someone started tapping at the glass. For a split second, I half expected to see Vegeta when my eyes opened. Instead, I saw it was Tora.

"Time to get up. We're closing in on planet Vegeta." He informed, his words taking a moment to register. Planet Vegeta? Wasn't that a week away from planet Rockoroad on a return trip? The thought of Rockoroad made my recent memories click into place, my eyes shot open.

"You destroyed the fleet — Fasha told me about that attack of yours, good going there. The rest of us dealt with the scarabs and finished purging the planet. All 'n all, it was a pretty smooth mission. Way better than I thought." Tora explained, memories surfacing of a destroyed fleet, my lungs burning and an attack I never saw before but knew how to perform.

"How?" I asked, finding my voice, sleep vanishing like smoke in the wind.

Tora gave a lopsided shrug, "we've been preparing for war with the Reach for a long time. Bardock knew that without blutz waves, we didn't have a hope of surviving this war, so he created a technique that let us go oozaru without needing a moon." Uhhh...wasn't that...kinda a game-changing technique? How did I not know about this? Why wasn't this included in my lessons-

"He only created it a couple of months before you got out of your pod. Probably too recent and untested for King Vegeta to bother making sure you knew about it. Wasn't like you weren't going to learn how eventually." Tora answered my unspoken question before he leaned in closer, his nose practically touching the glass. "Now, what was that technique you used? Fasha was talking it up the past couple of days."

The Kamehameha. It was different than the Galick Gun, Riot Javelin, Special Beam Cannon and other powerful named attacks that came to mind. I knew about them in theory, that they existed and who created them, but I didn't know how to do them. I doubt I could manage to pull them off first try like I had the Kamehameha. In the end, it was just a compressed ki ball, powerful, but nothing overly complicated.

Though, that was a near thing. When I imagined how the technique was supposed to look like compared to the one I made, mine was closer to a shaken soda bottle's cap popping off rather than a focused ki blast.

Tora tapped on the glass again to get my attention, reminding me that he was waiting for an answer. I told the truth with a helpless shrug. "I don't know. I think I learned back in the gestation tank." Instead of understanding like I anticipated, Tora's row furrowed, giving me an odd look.

"They taught you techniques in the tank?" He repeated, sounding like he never heard anything like it before. I gave a hesitant nod. He frowned for a moment before shrugging, "huh. I guess being royalty has its perks."

Had I learned the Kamehameha...before I went into the tank? Maybe? I mean...it just...hrm...a technique like that really didn't feel like something that belonged in my previous life. I mean, I don't remember throwing around ki attacks as a human. Learning a ki attack, if only in theory, felt like something that would have had to be downloaded into my brain. It made more sense that way. But, if that wasn't the case, that raised a really important question.

What else had I forgotten from my human life?

I frowned back at him, "I'm not royalty." I reminded, narrowing my eyes into a glare. I felt...less certain that I was going to stick both my feet into my mouth every time I spoke to Tora or the squad. I guess after attacking a planet together, I felt a little more...confident.

"Heh, fair enough." Tora conceded, leaning back from the pod. "Well, I came to wake you up." He said, stepping away from my pod. I considered going back to sleep, only to toss the idea out a moment later. With a tired sigh, I pressed the drain button, the healing fluid lowering before I could step outside.

After popping my joints, feeling like I hadn't moved in a week, my gaze was drawn to my armor. I shrugged off the chipped, broken and charred armor, seeing that it was painfully thin in some places. It protected my undersuit for the most part, thus me, but I saw a couple of singe barks where the armor couldn't block all of the heat.

A finger went to the cut over my heart, tracing the angle. The healing tank did what it could, but there was a slight groove that was a dark red mark that stood out against my pale skin. Reaching back, I felt that it was the same on my back. Not so distant memories came to mind of staring up at the scarab, grabbing the sword that ran me though, then a moon that seemed to dominate the sky.

The transformation saved my life. The rapid change in biology, growing and changing, the wound was healed with brute force to complete the transformation.

Another sigh escaped me as my hands dropped, looking at the other pods I saw that they were empty. Everyone was out and about. Looking back at my undersuit, I decided to grab a new one. After getting dressed, I found myself staring at the door.

None of it felt real. It felt like a bad dream, like what happened was so horrible that it couldn't be real. My gaze shifted down to my hands, thick calluses on my palm, poorly maintained fingernails...they were too small to belong to a killer: I expected...something. Vivid hallucinations of my hands being covered in blood, to hear the curses of vengeful spirits that haunted their killer. There was nothing. Just a pair of hands that didn't look like they belonged to a child.

For a third time, a sigh escaped me. I didn't want to think about it. So, I didn't.

Pushing my darker thoughts to the side, I stepped out of the med-bay, looking for Tora. There had to be a reason why he was sent to wake me up. Sparing a glance and a thought of going back to sleep, the door slid shut, so I started to wander the halls. There were no sounds of laughter to guide me this time, which made my new scouter that much more convenient.

Pressing the button, several power levels were outlined ahead of me. 4,429, 4,080, 3,952, 3,900, 3,829, 800. I blinked at the numbers, none of them the same as they were before and during the mission. The weakest must belong to Leek, but the others had to be the squads.

Making my way there, I saw that they were in the cafeteria again. Again, as soon as the door opened, I was greeted with the smell of cooked meat. My stomach reminded me that it was empty, only the nutrients fed into me by the healing pod keeping me from starving. I paid the others no mind as I B-lined to the table, grabbing a slab of meat I hoped and prayed wasn't neoplitan, I started stuffing my face.

"You slept for a solid week, you know that?" Fasha commented, looking over at me from my right. She looked amused, I couldn't respond for a moment, my cheeks puffed out like a squirrel. She rose an eyebrow when I chewed my food before speaking.

"I was tired?" That sounds a lot better than I was too lazy to get up for a solid week. Though, I may have to keep an eye on that. I spent months in meditation, so it was all too easy to let a week go by in a blink of an eye. I should probably be glad that they cared enough to wake me up at all, otherwise I would have never woken myself up.

"I would say so. So, that attack, what was that? How'd you do it?" She pestered, leaning in close as if a few extra inches would stop anyone else from hearing what I said. I looked at them, seeing Shugesh and Borgos pretend like they weren't paying attention. Not seeing a reason to keep it secret, I answered.

Though, how did I describe it in words? "It's kinda like...Hmmm!" I started, cupping my hands, "then hnnn...then HA!" I continued, thrusting my hands out like I performed the attack. "Like that."

Fasha nodded, the others doing so as well, "hmmm, hnnn, then HA. Gotta try that one out when we're not in space." She muttered, looking amused as we watched Shugesh mime the attack. He didn't look embarrassed when he was caught, which is more than I could say.

"It didn't really hurt the scarab," I felt obliged to tack on. If they wanted to learn the Kamehameha, then it was because they thought it was an attack worth learning, if they thought it was worth learning then they thought it was extremely powerful and cool. "It just pushed it back into the warhead." Which killed it.

Huh. I killed a vanguard scarab. That was...kinda awesome.

"Yeah, but it pinned it down so it couldn't get out of the blast. You're only at 700, if one of us does it then the damage will be a lot better." Shugesh explained, a cocky grin on his face as he finished off a slab of meat. I frowned, knowing that was true, but it still was irritating.

As if sensing my annoyance, Tora spoke up from further down the table. "So, I heard you got your first scar?" He said, changing the subject. I looked at him, seeing that everyone's eyes were on me. I shifted in my seat, feeling embarrassed, but suspicious at the attention they were giving me. It was...odd.

They were being nice. Last time we sat here, Bardock forced me to be an exposition dump for the team. Now, they were being...nice. At the very least, it felt like they wouldn't boot me off the ship the first chance they got.

Hesitantly, I nodded. Absentmindedly, I rubbed my chest. Tora noted the action then nodded, "you lucked out with that one. A stab through the heart...I knew going oozaru could brute force a serious wound close, but that's something else. We're all really lucky that you thought of that." Tora commented with a good-natured grin, taking a long gulp from his alcohol.

I sent him another look, the feeling of embarrassment fading to give way to pure wariness. That was...weird. Why would they be lucky if I survived? We weren't friends, we were barely squadmates. This whole interaction didn't make sense.

"Enough of that," Bardock entered the cafeteria, the door slid shut behind him. His words were harsh, but the tone that he said them with was more exasperated than anything. He looked at me, his eyes raking over me like he expected me to fall over dead at any second before he nodded. I found myself returning it, unsure what else I should do.

"We're about to touch down back home. Straighten yourselves out. We have an audience with the king." He informed, taking a seat next to me. I looked at him, catching him looking at me, while the others muttered amongst themselves, Borgos and Fasha walking off to clean themselves up for a royal audience. The others just kept eating, oblivious to the mounting tension as our staring contest stretched on.

"...what?" I finally asked, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. He wasn't looking at me in the eyes, he was staring at my chest. Where I was stabbed.

"This mission was way above your level," he stated bluntly as if I didn't already know that. This was a suicide mission in general, but that went sextuple for me or more. Probably more. And yet, somehow, I was still alive. In spite of all logic, not only did I not die, but we succeeded in our mission.

Bardock took a bracing breath, holding it for a few seconds as he stared at me, his gaze flickering back to my face. "You did...good."

Okay. Something about this made absolutely no sense. Bardock wanted me dead. He brought me in this mission to get me killed. And I survived. He should be mad or killed me on the planet so he could shrug his shoulders and say 'oh well, I tried' to King Vegeta. It made absolutely no sense if Bardock didn't want me dead.

So. What could he possibly mean when he said I did good? I did good...by nearly dying? That...this, none of this made any sense-

"Didn't I tell you to stop thinking so much?" Bardock remarked, thumping me on the top of my head. Lightly. Enough to break me out of my thoughts, glaring as I rubbed the pain out of where the thumped me. "Just take the compliment. Who knows when you're going to get another."

I frowned at him, not responding. Maybe.., maybe it was how I was viewing the situation that was wrong? The more I thought about it, the less sense it made that he was trying to kill me. If he was then he passed up a perfect opportunity for seemingly no reason. Unless one of the team was a spy, and given how oddly close they seemed, I doubted that then it only made sense that I was wrong about him trying to kill me.

Then what was his motivation? The new ship...the healing tanks...he mentioned something about leverage to get them...was...was he blackmailing King Vegeta?! Was I the leverage? Wait, no, that couldn't be it either. King Vegeta couldn't care less if I lived or died, so that didn't make sense.

What-

Bardock thumped me again, looking annoyed. "Seriously, stop that. Leave the thinking for the working-class."

I glared balefully, going ignored when Tora spoke up. "Speaking of the working-class, you going to see Gine after the king?" He asked, earning a sharp look from Bardock, which earned a chuckle in return. Fasha had mentioned her before the mission. She was Bardock's woman, whatever that meant.

The glare fell as a sigh escaped Bardock, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen her. Might as well since we're going to be so busy now that the war is going to be in full swing." He answered, sounding grumpy about it.

"That kid of yours finished incubating yet?" Tora asked, getting a surprised look from me that I transferred to Bardock. He knew that he had a kid? He kept track of it well enough to know when the kid was going to get out of the gestation tank? This guy got weirder the more I learned about him.

As if sensing my thoughts, he shot me a glare before nodding. "Yeah, but he's going to be sent on an infiltration mission. Probably won't come back with a power level of 2." He muttered, looking at me like it was somehow my fault.

"Hm. Gine's going to be devastated, you know her. Though, maybe it'll all turn out alright. He could get an easy planet, and Tarble is proof enough that low-class saiyans like…"

"Gine named him Kakarot...I think," Bardock supplied, sounding much more like a typical saiyan father.

"Kakarot could grow into a halfway decent warrior with enough time." Tora finished, not exactly sounding like he believed what he was saying, but sounding hopeful. Bardock just huffed, grabbing the drink out of his hand and downing the rest of it in a single go. Tora glared mildly but grabbed Borgos' glass without comment.

"Maybe," Bardock agreed, not sounding like he believed it for a second. I don't think anyone would. With a pl of 2, the number of planets he could conceivably conquer were few and far in-between. Add that to the fact we were going to war with the Reach, odds were he would be sent sent to one of their planets to cause some trouble. Kakarots fate was sealed.

Before Bardock could say anymore about the subject, Leek's voice spoke through my scouter. "We're about to reenter Planet Vegeta's atmosphere." He informed.

Bardock sighed while Tora drained his alcohol. "Let's go meet King Vegeta," he said, standing. I chewed on a piece of meat for a moment, looking at the table thoughtfully. I was about to meet King Vegeta for the third time in my life. The first time, I was still in the gestation tank, the second I was getting my teeth kicked in by a saibaman. The third time...I was coming back from a suicide mission.

I could only hope that he would be happy about that.

Swallowing a sigh, I ran a hand through my still damp hair, my hair snapping back into place with enough force to send drops of healing fluid flying free. I followed Bardock and Tora out of the cafeteria, through the hallways and to the main entrance. The others made their way there after a few minutes, shortly before I felt a soft thump that told me that we landed on Planet Vegeta.

The door/ramp cracked open, lowering to reveal somewhat familiar blue skies. There was no one to greet us, as we walked out, I realized that there was next to no one at all. A single person, his armor marking him as a working-class, dark bags underneath his eyes as he worked on a ship some distance away. The scratches, the puncture marks on the armor - he wasn't repairing some wear and tear. That ship saw battle.

I paid so much attention to it, I was nearly left behind when the others floated off the ground. I managed to catch up with them, falling in place behind Borgos since he was the biggest, thus meaning I had to put up with less wind resistance. My gaze wandered as I savored the feeling of wind on my face, searching the skies for trouble. My last flight on Planet Vegeta all too fresh in mind.

This time, our flight went in uninterrupted as we made our way to the palace. It was a large castle-like building that stretched on for over a mile, precariously placed on top of a cliff that overlooked a light blue ocean. It was impossible to not notice the tall marble walls, the alien architecture of saucer-like buildings and spires, one of which supported the cliff the palace was rested on because it was shaped like an upside-down L.

With other planets dominating the sky, as we approached, I couldn't help but think that the palace looked like it was ripped out of a storybook.

We touched down at the front of it, a waif of a saiyan standing in front of a large set of double doors. His bushy mustache twitched when he looked at me, giving a low bow as he gestured to the large double doors behind him. "King Vegeta and Queen Teach are expecting you. Please don't keep them waiting," he asked, his voice perfectly neutral.

"We know better than that," Fasha muttered under her breath, bringing her yellow leg warmer up a little more. She stood a little straighter as we walked through the doors, my head on a swivel as I took everything in again. This was the royal palace. The halls were richly furnished by artifacts liberated from planets, rare and valuable minerals and metals were used as decorations.

I didn't know enough to give a number to how much everything would cost, but I did know the amount of wealth was obscene. A reminder that the royal family stood at the top of the hierarchy.

Eventually, we made our way to another set of double doors. Bardock came to a stop outside of it, raising a fist, he knocked on the door with surprising politeness.

"Enter," came a voice that I knew all too well. I swallowed thickly as Bardock pushed the door open, revealing a wide-open room that seemed to stretch on for eternity. A dark red carpet ran up the center, flanked by white rock, leading my gaze to the throne that rested on a high platform, letting King Vegeta look down on whoever entered.

King Vegeta and Queen Teach sat in their thrones, ornately decorated with gold and other metals that glowed lightly in the dimly lit room, only stained crystal windows offering any light. Two others stood at their sides, I knew who they were with a glance. Matillo, an elderly saiyan so old that no one knew exactly how old he was, only that he had been alive since King Vegeta the Second. So, at least a hundred years old but likely way, way older.

Next to Queen Teach was a much younger man. Parslee, a mid-class saiyan that just had his final growth spurt at twenty years old. Shaggy black hair, a strong jaw, prominent cheekbones, tall with defined muscles hidden underneath a white cloak that marked him as a royal guard.

The silence was stifling as we approached, my gaze flickering between King Vegeta and Queen Teach. King Vegeta only stared at Bardock, his face carefully impassive to hide his thoughts. I doubt he even noticed I was here. Queen Teach, on the other hand, quickly noticed my looks and offered a wave and a cheeky smile that showed perfect white teeth.

Awkwardly, with my face burning, I waved back, not knowing what else I should do. It wasn't like I could just ignore her. Unfortunately, that seemed to be some signal because King Vegeta began to speak. Everyone dropped to a knee, with me doing the same a second later than everyone else.

"I have learned to expect a great deal from you and your team Bardock, but you still find ways to impress me." King Vegeta complimented, his voice booming in the empty room. "A planet purged of all life, a reactionary fleet destroyed, and their occupational army dead. Already Frieza's main forces have moved to secure it. Well done."

"We did what was expected of us, my king. Nothing more," Bardock returned with modesty that he didn't have. I spared a disbelieving look at him, going ignored as Bardock only had eyes for King Vegeta. Was...he trying to make a good impression? Was he trying to get into King Vegeta's good book?

"Perhaps, but what you managed is no less impressive because of it," King Vegeta stated. "All without a single casualty." When he said this, only then did his cold onyx eyes drift over to me. I met his gaze, too shocked to look away. His gaze lingered on me for a long second that seemed to last forever before he returned it back to Bardock. A breath I didn't know I had been holding escaped me, my shoulders slumping.

He...really doesn't care at all about me, I thought, clenching my jaw. I knew that. I learned as much when he okayed me going on this mission, but to see that I was just another low-class warrior to him, to stand before him and him not even acknowledge my existence… that hurt. That hurt more than words could say.

It hurt because I knew what family was. It hurt because I knew they were supposed to care about me. Above all else, it hurt knowing that even if I did become an elite-class warrior, then they would only care about my class, not me.

Swallowing thickly, my eyes burning, I forced myself to listen to the conversation. "Frieza has seen fit to reward your squad since you all survived." King Vegeta continued, making all the others perk up. There was no joy in his voice as he continued. "A planet of your choice. Each."

Shugesh sputtered next to me, making a pained noise while Fasha was choking down mad cackles of glee. I saw them eye each other over my head, Shugesh giving her the equivalent to puppy-dog eyes while Fasha just stared back smugly. Yeah, there was no way that she was going to give up an extra planet.

A planet as a bonus was reserved for people like the Ginyu squad, who were rewarded one yearly. For low-class warriors like us, getting an entire planet as a reward was practically unheard of. What more, we got to pick which planet we got.

Saiyans didn't really care for money, not in the sense that other races did. If a saiyan wanted something bad enough, then they would just take it. Money served a very different purpose on Planet Vegeta. Money, or wealth, was simply a mark of status - it wasn't used for anything else. It represented success, of all the victories you had to get to the point you slept on a literal mountain of money. Saiyans didn't care for luxuries outside of food. They wanted them essentially for bragging rights.

A planet was...kind of ridiculous, now that I thought about it. Why would Lord Frieza ever let a planet be used as a reward, much less six? It was no secret that he disliked our race more than most. More often than not, he was shorting us a reward rather than being so kind. What was going on?

"Frieza's generosity knows no bounds," Bardock said, bowing his head in thanks. Because I was so low to the ground, I saw it was to hide a smile. It was a lot like a scimitar - curved, sharp with a wicked point.

"Hm," King Vegeta grunted, a crack forming in his impassive face."Take these catalogs of planets to make your choice." He said, the saiyan from earlier walking over and started passing out metal tables connected with a dark piece of crystal. I took mine, gripping it so tightly, half expecting someone to yank it out of my hands.

"With this move, the Reach has no choice but to declare war. Already, we've had some minor skirmishes." King Vegeta continued, moving on. "As you've already proven your valor, with Frieza's insistence, you will immediately be deployed to the front lines." He pressed something on his throne before a light blue hologram of a star system appeared between us.

"This is one of their fortified planets, a shield world, as they call them. Planet Sereall," King Vegeta began, showing a planet with no moons, almost entirely covered by landmass. I couldn't tell how big it was without a reference, but being called a shield world, I'm guessing it was pretty big. "Planet Rockoroad was a strong opening move, but these shield worlds protect the heart of the Reach empire. All of them lay on intersections for slips space - other methods of FTL are being considered, but the results are the same."

He paused dramatically, his gaze sweeping over us again. This time his gaze didn't linger on me at all. "These shield worlds must be taken to defeat the Reach." He said, his voice echoing in the large room.

I heard Leek swallow thickly behind me, so I wasn't the only one feeling daunted by the task. Queen Teach seemed to be the only one who wasn't if the fact she was playing what looked like the equivalent of candy crush on a tablet like the one I just got was anything to go by.

"What's more, the Reach has not been idle during the past few years," King Vegeta continued as the hologram began to zoom out. It showed solar systems, hundreds of them, if not thousands, all of them belonging to the Reach. All connected by a thin line, which represented slipstream highways. Some of the lines were highlighted, marking them as important, with several planets highlighted with them.

"These are stepping stones we must crush on our way to the shield worlds. All have a garrison numbering in the millions, a policing fleet supported by anti-air weapons on the planet. They are sacrifices to slow us down." The Reach was beyond powerful, easily one of the strongest empires in the galaxy. The profitable relationship they and the Trade Organization once shared was biting us in the butt because it was because of us that they had these spare resources.

Garrisons that had millions of soldiers. Each planet having a small feelt defending it. They had the resources to throw these things away to bleed us as we crawled forward.

"What's more, all must be taken, otherwise we will have countless armies and fleets poised behind us." King Vegeta explained before one planet, in particular, was highlighted. "Your next mission will be to take planet Choco. The details will be sent to those datapads. You will leave in the morning."

"Of course, my king." Bardock said, rasing to his feet, recognizing the dismissal. He turned around, the others following suit as we started to walk out of the throne room. Despite every instinct telling me that I shouldn't, I found myself looking over my shoulder to the royal family behind me.

Once again, my gaze found King Vegeta's. There wasn't an ounce of warmth in his eyes, nothing in his body language giving me any hint on what he thought about the fact I was in the same room as him. Quickly looking away, my gaze found Queen Teach, who gave me another smile as she wiggled her fingers at me as a goodbye.

Still unsure, I gave a small wave back. I still couldn't read her, at all, but I think that was a good sign. Probably. She stopped when King Vegeta leaned over to say something to her, his voice so low that I couldn't hear it. Realizing it was probably about me, I quickly looked away. I didn't look back until the doors closed behind me.

I just met my parents for the third time.

"Alright, you heard him. Met me at the launching pad bright and early tomorrow morning. We leave at first light." Bardock said, stepping outside to a balcony. The others muttered their agreement, some with more enthusiasm than others, all of them clutching the datapad in their hands like a lifeline. "See ya' then."

With that, Bardock took off, followed by Tora, Shugesh, Borgos, and Fasha. Leaving only me and- oh, Leek kept walking. So it was only me standing at the balcony. I looked out at the horizon, the others were already little more than specs in the distance. My gaze drifted down to the table in my hands, a thumb brushing over the on button that made it light up. I saw that I had about twelve hours before dawn.

What was I going to do with those twelve hours? Sleep? Where? I didn't have a house. I just realized it now, but I was pretty much homeless. Should I train? Should I bother since we were about to leave?

A sigh escaped me as I floated up, flying towards the landing pad. I might as well stay on the ship if I had nowhere else to go. It only took a few minutes to reach the ship, the front door still open. The saiyan I saw before wasn't there anymore, though the battered ship he had been working on wasn't there anymore either.

Walking into the ship, I nearly walked face-first into the saiyan, making both of us stumble back a step. He held a welder in his hand, a section of the wall taken down to expose several wires. I looked at them, then at him, to see him staring at me with wide eyes and a bloodless face.

"Sorry?" I muttered, shifting from foot to foot. I interrupted his work. "I was...just going to go into the healing pod, if that's okay?" I didn't know what he was working on, but I hoped that wouldn't cause any problems. If I couldn't stay here then I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do.

"Er," the saiyan began, "that's fine?" He said, sounding like he was asking me a question. "Who are you...exactly?"

Oh, right. "I'm Tarble. I'm on Bardock's squad." I think. No one really said anything about it, and since I saw the briefing, I'm guessing I was expected to go on the mission.

"Oh. I, uh, I'm Beets. Mechanic," Beets introduced himself. That explained why he looked so nervous, he was apart of the working-class.

"Nice to meet you?" I continued, feeling myself slowly beginning to die of embarrassment, more heat rushing towards my face. Why was everything I said coming out as a question? I gripped the tablet in my hands, suddenly realizing something. "Uh, do you know if this can go in the healing pod with me?"

"...Yeah?" Beets continued, clearly put off by how awkward I was being. He lowered the welder, his gaze roaming over me, and the tablet before he nodded. "There shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks. Uh, and thanks for fixing our ship." The guy looked dead tired and he was still working when I interrupted him.

"...No problem," Beets muttered, scratching at his head as he looked away.

"Bye." I blurted, walking past him as I stuck my nose to the tablet, feeling my ears burning. Why was I so bad at talking to people? I screwed up that entire conversation. I'm not sure how I screwed up that conversation, but if I was feeling this embarrassed then I must have screwed up that entire conversation.

Getting in the healing pod, I put the conversation out of mind as fast as I could, distracting myself by opening up the catalog to pick my very own planet. As the healing fluid washed over me, a mask covering my face, I began to thumb through the hundreds of planets available. They were broken up into categories - ocean worlds, arid, ice and many more. Those could then be filtered by all kinds of things - exotic minerals, being located on a magic layline, which was apparently a thing, other special features.

There were all kinds of planets. Lush green planets that had some kind of hive mind that killed everyone that stepped foot there, planets with a hundred times galactic standard gravity, planets that orbited a black hole that only maintained their atmosphere because of a ritualistic sacrifice to a dark god.

As I flipped through I found another filter. Inhabited. Curious, I clicked on it and saw a list of all the worlds that were owned but still inhabited by a native population. The list was still dozens long, letting me go through them, reading about the aliens that lived there. Lizard people, alien jellyfish, insectoids, hive minds-

Uh. My jaw dropped when I found a familiar planet on the list. A Gaia world mostly covered by a deep blue ocean, white clouds swirling on the surface. Inhabited by a primitive species of bipedal mammals with the average pl of 5. It had exotic metals and was located on a magical layline, but it was so far out in the galactic boonies that no one bothered to purge the planet when the right to it was purchased ages ago. It was worth next to nothing, so worthless that I would have to purge the planet myself or hire a team to do it since it missed the benchmark for that to be included. Not that I wanted to.

Earth. I was looking at Earth. My home-...back when I was human, this was my home planet. I stared at it for a long minute, not so much as breathing.

Then my thumb pressed the purchase button.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my , so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Sight of Above

Shorter chapter than normal. This chapter, to be completely honest, I thought about scrapping altogether. It fought me every step of the way, the first time I've gotten writer's block for this story. In the end, it does what I intended, but I'm just not happy with it.

Funnily enough, the next few chapters got pumped out easy once I finished this one and they're my favorites so far. So, please bear with me because the next five chapters - well, let's just say I'm really excited to see what you all think.

* * *

"Are we winning?" Vegeta asked, looking at an overly detailed hologram of the Reach empire. Far too overly detailed. Numbers that meant nothing to him, scrolling text that meant less, arrows pointed at places that he had never heard of and didn't care to learn. He looked at it to answer that simple question, but all he was getting was a headache.

Nappa looked up from a report, his stark white cape attached to his armor marked him as a general. The only saiyan born general in the Frieza-force. To his left was some kind of lizard, its cape marking it as an admiral of a significant fleet. The First Fleet, that he knew only because he was traveling with it.

Nappa said something to the admiral, whatever it was, Vegeta didn't care enough to hear. A foot tapped impatiently, his arms crossed as he glared at the hologram. He could make out the border, a purple coloring marking worlds that the Frieza-force had conquered. It wasn't a neat line, either - apparently, space warfare was rather messy. Space was so empty for the most part and where it wasn't, it was usually asteroids or debris that made of an easy place to hide.

Vegeta heard stories of small forces waiting until they were behind enemy lines then launching attacks on supply lines. Though, he guessed he should expect nothing less from alien scum. Botched jobs and incompetence all around, they couldn't even purge a planet properly.

Eventually, after making him wait far too long, Nappa made his way over to Vegeta. He looked at the hologram for a moment, an intense expression telling Vegeta his answer. No, they weren't winning.

"We don't know yet," Nappa answered, earning a scowl from Vegeta, shooting his..._caretaker_...a glare at the lack of a clear answer.

"That was a yes or no question," Vegeta informed, earning a disrespectful huff from Nappa. Vegeta chose not to make a comment about it. If he killed his caretaker then he wouldn't get his answer. Well, he could, but then he would have to lower himself to speak to aliens.

Nappa scratched at his chin for a moment, considering the hologram, before he gave a small shrug. "We aren't losing," he decided, still not answering his question. Seeing the glare that Vegeta shot at him, Nappa was quick to continue. "We're pushing through their worlds on their western border." In response to his words, a few planets were highlighted.

A few dozen out of over a thousand.

"Our FTL detectors haven't picked up on a real counter-attack on that front. So far, we've secured thirteen planets, Rockoroad serving as our depo. A shipyard is being built there for repairs. And more ships, if you believe gossip." Nappa continued, not sounding that interested. Which was fair. No one cared about fleets.

Shooting at each other with weapons from miles away? Using a glorified vehicle to do the fighting for you? Where was the honor and glory in that?

"However, it does seem that Lord Frieza is going to push that front. I've been given control over the Third and Fifth armies to lock down any worlds in the 31st to 36th quadrant," Nappa explained, this time there was pride in his voice. Vegeta allowed it. Between two armies, Nappa was in control of over a million soldiers, more than enough to lock down hundreds of thousands of miles of empty space.

"Hmm," Vegeta hummed, starting to get a picture of the war now. "And the left?"

At this, Nappa winced ever so slightly. That told him all that he needed to know. "Not as well. The Reach's eastern border doesn't have as much give before you hit one of their shield worlds. Matillo and Parslee have managed to lock down a planet each, but they're struggling to keep hold of them. The Reach is orbitally bombarding them, wrecking the Second army stationed there."

"...and my mother?" Vegeta asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Queen Teach has taken nearly ten planets herself with the support of the 12th army. Some of them are contested, she lost a planet recently because of a slave insurrection." Nappa said, zeroing in on the planet that dared to rebel from Mother's rightful rule. "The aliens there make pretty useful slaves, so Frieza wanted a bunch of them rounded up before the Reach finished evacuating the planet. Ruccollo is going to retake it before the Reach can drop them supplies."

Ruccollo. Another mid-class saiyan that earned some glory in the past year of war.

"Good," Vegeta said, hoping that his mother found plenty of strong opponents on the frontlines. He wished he was there, where the fighting was at its thickest, but this was fine too. This way, he could support Tarble as his team carved through the Reach's defensive lines. Fighting powerful opponents was ideal, but slaughtering weaklings had its own appeal.

"And where are we heading exactly?" Vegeta asked, wanting to know how close he was to the frontlines. He couldn't let Tarble have all the fun.

The hologram changed, highlighting two planets. Along with countless pings. "What are those red dots?" Vegeta demanded to know, glaring at them. They all correlated in a ring in one of the systems, inside an asteroid field.

"They represent where the First Fleet was ambushed when securing the system. There are still pockets of resistance left there, but we don't know numbers. We're tracking locations to triangulate where they're based. That area," Nappa said, pointing at a larger red dot, "is the area where we've narrowed it down too."

"I see," Vegeta intoned, nodding sagely. He stared at the hologram for a long minute, mulling over what he learned. It didn't take him long to reach a conclusion. "In a year, we've managed to take...fifty worlds?" That was it? Fifty? Out of over a thousand?

"Forty-five," Nappa corrected, highlighting a planet on the western front. "The Reach retook planet Leef and put the Eighth army in a full retreat. Then there have been other slave rebellions, one of which is being crushed right now but the others look like they're going to need a saiyan touch-"

Vegeta stopped listening, staring at the planets for a moment before he realized he recognized them. Those two planets that Tarble and his team had taken.

Despite himself, Vegeta felt his heart go still in his chest. "So Bardock's squad is cut off?" Vegeta interrupted, frowning at the blinking planet that was now behind enemy lines. A planet that would remain behind enemy lines for some time.

"They are, but knowing Bardock, that's how he likes it," Nappa offered, sounding like he wished he was there instead of leading Frieza's armies. Vegeta would be a liar if he said he didn't feel the same. "No support, no relief, back up or anything. Just his next set of orders."

Vegeta didn't comment on that, the conversation he had with Father about Bardock was always so quick to come to mind every time he was mentioned. He hadn't died on the suicide mission - worse, he made Father angry with Tarble for failing to die as well. He wasn't there to see it first hand, but a call from Mother told him that his rage had been considerable over his failed plot.

He hoped that time would cool Father's rage. Vegeta was worried that it would stop Tarble from being acknowledged when he rose to the elite-class. Mother assured him that Father was just being overdramatic, which had put him at ease. That all would be forgotten when Bardock was killed, one way or the other. Perhaps if he asked for Tarble to be accepted in the family at the height of his good mood, Father would accept regardless of his class.

"They have their orders. It's up to them to make sure they're carried out," Vegeta said instead, pushing all thoughts of his unacknowledged brother to the side. With any luck, they would one day run into each other on the battlefield. Hopefully, by that time, Tarble would have at least become mid-class.

"Hm. Things sure would move a lot faster if Frieza got off his throne," Nappa commented, making the hologram back out of the general battle map to focus on the current objective. Vegeta looked at the admiral, the creature trying and failing to pretend like it was listening to their every word. Well, it was no matter if he did relay everything back to Frieza. It was hardly a secret that he and the saiyan race were hardly on friendly terms.

"He won't. Not any time soon, at least," Vegeta returned, eyeing their current objective with some interest. Since the war began, Frieza had participated in exactly zero battles. Though, it was hardly cowardness on his part, though Vegeta was loath to admit as much, even to himself.

Frieza flew across the war in his flagship, a single unassuming ship. It wasn't even a big ship. And yet, everyone in the galaxy knew who it belonged to. It's identification keys were open access, letting anyone and everyone know who it belonged to if they didn't know it by sight. It flew through contested systems, towards enemy strongholds, utterly alone in a silent challenge for anyone to open fire on it.

And yet, in the past year, no one had. Frieza hadn't fought a single battle, not because he was a coward, but because the enemy always surrendered at the mere sight of him.

Only Frieza never went where the enemy was at its strongest, where punching a hole meant they could advance by feet instead of inches. With his ship's FTL jump drive, he could jump to a shield world in minutes and take it out by himself. He didn't take any planets - sometimes he would touch down on one to destroy some cities, but he never broke the military on the planet.

"He's waiting for something," Vegeta continued, recalling the few meetings he had with the frost demon. Vegeta never saw him mad. Not once. Not even when he blasted an entire platoon of soldiers because he thought one of them might have called him short.

"Knowing him, it's probably a grand entrance to the galactic stage," Nappa hazard a guess. Vegeta sent him a look, silently demanding an explanation, and Nappa got the hint. "It's not going to say much about him if cleans up a minor battlefield or two. He's waiting for something big."

Vegeta considered that then found himself nodding. That would be fitting for Frieza. It wasn't enough that the first thing he did when he inherited the Trade Organization was to declare war on their greatest and most powerful customer. He needed something more to make sure that the galaxy noticed him. Though, Vegeta supposed he should be thankful for it. It would be unlikely he would get a chance to fight so many power opponents otherwise.

"Excuse me, General Nappa? Prince Vegeta?" Came the voice of the admiral, earning a sharp look from Vegeta. What did it think it was doing interrupting their conversation? Did it not know its place? "You were asked to be informed when the Reach released their next propaganda piece to the galaxy."

At that, Vegeta did perk up. "Put it on. Now," he ordered curtly to hide his eagerness. Since the war began, the Reach had been pumping out propaganda to paint themselves as the victims. Which they were, and will be when they scoured their worlds of all life. The cowards wanted to drum up sympathy from the galaxy, Vegeta knew they made contact with the Thanagarian to launch their own invasion into Frieza's considerable personal holdings.

If it was working, Vegeta didn't know. What he did know that it was quickly becoming a point of pride to be featured in the videos that decried them as monsters. He was featured in ten already. His mother, eight, while the rest of the mid-class trash was featured once or none. The admiral hastily obeyed his order, knowing the price of disobedience, and the battle plans shifted to a video.

"War...war never changes," a deep voice stated that likely belonged to a Reach ambassador over an image of a dull, if peaceful, alien settlement. Aliens laughed and chatted, bartering as their primitive customs dictated. Vegeta smiled for he knew what was coming next. The aliens chatted until a shadow fell upon them, making them look upon a cloudless day to see a Frieza-force ship hovering over them.

"Sentient kills fellow sentient. Innocents are lost. Homes are ruined...War never changes, but those that wage it do." The narrator spoke gravely as the citizens panicked, running for their lives. The shot focused on the ship's main guns, the energy building before it fired on an unseen target. "One year ago, the Reach was attacked unprovoked without justification. The beautiful world of Rockoroad was...lost."

The scene changed, displaying a dull brown world - Vegeta tsked when he saw Bardock's oozaru form laying waste to a city. That made nine times for him. More than Mother. That was unacceptable.

"Hundreds of millions of lives were lost at the hands of the barbaric saiyan race. Without reason, they destroyed cities," more images of a ruined city burning, most likely from a drone. "Without cause, they committed the gravest sin in the galaxy. An entire race...gone. Murdered to the last child. The Neopian race...is no more." The narrator continued, displaying a hideous fish creature.

"Heh. Good riddance," Vegeta summarized his thoughts on the matter.

"Hm, I heard they were pretty tasty, though," Nappa commented as the video took a dramatic pause to build suspense.

"Since then, billions more have suffered the same." Images flashed as he spoke, clips of the war front. The admiral proved to be slightly useful by slowing down the video enough that he could analyze each clip in search of familiar saiyans. Images and clips passed by, showing the Frieza-force armies attacking cities, but he paid no mind to lesser aliens that dared called him their ally.

A minute passed, then two. He spotted Bardock. Again. On a very brightly colored planet that made his eyes hurt looking at it. Then he found a lingering shot on Mother as she ripped a scouting class scarab in half with her bare hands. Another shot of the one called Tora, a low-class with four showings.

"Billions of innocent civilians that were guilty of no crime, other than the desire to live peacefully," the images ramped up, becoming longer as more explicit. An alien being stomped on by an oozaru, a crying alien in front of its parent's corpses. Each image designed to tug at the heartstrings of lesser races. "And yet, the tyrant Frieza has deemed death is a suitable punishment for this desire. He takes no prisoners. He has no mercy. He and his bloodthirsty monsters will stop at nothing until every single last citizen of the Reach has been murdered.

Then a clip played a saiyan child. Tarble. He hung above a military encampment, the pitiful aliens doing their best to resist, but he simply fired energy blasts from his hands without a trace of mercy on his face. He wasn't in his oozaru form, not like the other low-class trash that had to be to be of any use.

"Ah, it's his third time popping up in one of these, isn't it?" Nappa asked as the clip played out for a few seconds. Vegeta nodded - Tarble's first showing was in one of the first of these propaganda pieces when they first showed the destruction of Rockoroad. His oozaru form had picked up a building and thrown it at another. A brief showing, but it still counted.

"It is. With any luck, he'll appear in more soon enough." Vegeta admitted, resisting the urge to demand that the admiral rewind the video so he could watch it again. "Being behind enemy lines will help his chances."

"What I wouldn't give to be there," Nappa said with a sigh. "Still, I wonder what they're hoping to accomplish with these things?" He questioned as the video continued to play, continuing to decry the Frieza-force as monsters. Vegeta wondered if the Reach knew about their game. He hoped so.

"They're trying to unite the galaxy against us," Vegeta hazard a guess. "They have no allies, so they want to spread fear that we will look beyond the Reach when we're done with them." That reasoning came from Frieza himself when he had asked the same question, only to be overheard by the frost demon. "I don't know if it's working, though."

Apparently, the Trade Organization's stock was down and a lot of 'pirates' had been hitting their merchants. Offices on other words were firebombed, employes murdered. Vegeta was told that all of that was bad for the Trade Organization since it brought them in less money. Still, he didn't know if there was going to be anymore...overt actions from the other empires that filled the galaxy. He hoped so.

Fighting scarabs was fun - their power was versatile, each species using them a little differently so each fight felt unique. Still, too much of anything got boring after a while. For the most part, the Reach's slave soldiers were complete trash, so the only good fights the Reach could offer were the scarabs. Another empire jumping in would mix things up a bit. Maybe Darkseid, the Dominators - someone that would offer him a real challenge.

"I doubt it. No one likes the Reach. The only ones they can hope that will help them are the Green Lanterns," Nappa pointed out with some disgust. Vegeta felt much the same about the meddlesome ring bearers. As any proper saiyan, he despised the power rings and those that used them. It was all power than belonged to an over-glorified battery to a race of bobbleheads with so many restrictions placed on them they might as well be slaves.

He would rather bite off his fingers than ever letting a power ring rest on one of them. Though...perhaps he would allow one if only to keep it as a trophy. Not even his father had killed a Green Lantern. No saiyan had ever killed a Green Lantern before.

"Shame." Nappa voiced his opinion on the lack of a galactic spanning war. "I was hoping to mount a set of wings back home." Or getting his hands on the Thanagarian Nth metal weapons. Vegeta wanted to gather it all up to melt it down to be used for his throne when he became king. "Well, hopefully, they'll start getting involved soon enough."

Vegeta made a noise of acknowledgment, returning his attention back to the video that was released to every space-faring government. Just in time too. "Frieza is a tyrant and a monster will stop at nothing to sate his thirst for blood. None are safe from him. Rise up now before it is too late to put a stop to this monster!"

It was a fine finish, Vegeta supposed. He doubted that any empire would answer the Reach's call, but one could hope.

"Feh, you'd think they'd show me since I'm leading the armies that conquer their world," Nappa muttered more to himself than to Vegeta.

Vegeta was about to respond, only for the admiral to cut him off from his command chair. "General Nappa, we've picked up the enemy fleet on our sensors," it informed, the hologram of the video shifting to display a Reach fleet. Nearly fifty ships in total - it was a proper fleet, from the look of it. A large flagship lead at the front and center, the dozen or so assault ships arranging themselves around it, while the others hung back.

"The 30th fleet," Nappa observed, crossing his arms. One of the fifty or so war fleets that the Reach had spread out across their territory, most of them tangled up in engagements across the war front. "Well, I'll let you have the deck, admiral. Try not to get us all killed."

Vegeta paid the admiral no mind as he walked out of the room. He cared nothing for battles that didn't involve getting up close and personal with an enemy, beating them to death with his bare hands. He refused to take command of one of the Frieza-force drones, and since he was forbidden to fly out with an air tank, the battle had little interest to him.

He would learn if they won later in the cafeteria. If they lost, then the ship would be destroyed. Either way, he didn't need to stay.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pae tron, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Sight of Truth

A hand grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back before a heavy fist crashed against my nose, flattening it with a spray of blood. The fist came down again against my jaw, jerking my head to the side, blood filling my mouth that leaked out when the fist came down again. And again. And again.

"Ughk," I groaned, lashing out with a foot, catching a solid wall of muscle in front of me. Distantly, I heard a scoff before that same fist slammed into my stomach hard enough I vomited. My opponent didn't care, having long since gotten used to being covered in fluids of the enemy, instead he heaved me up by my hair before slamming me down hard enough I made a crater in the dusty red stone.

Another groan escaped me, blood and vomit leaking out of my mouth as I rolled to my side. Everything felt broken, my body was a giant bruise and only sheer will kept me from blacking out. I turned so I laid on my stomach, trying to push myself up, only to get stomped on hard enough that I felt every single rib creak.

"Ughhhh…" I groaned again, unable to form words with my broken jaw. I spat up more blood, this time I saw a tooth in the mix. At least they would be replaced when I hit my growth spurt. Again, I tried to push myself up despite the extra weight, only for my opponent to lean on me, digging his heel into my kidneys. I would be pissing blood later.

"Are you done?" Came a muffled voice from above me. Again, I tried to push myself up, my arms trembling with exertion but any strength that they had was gone.

"Guh…! N-...no!" I moaned, my arms giving out as I went limp. Red sand coated my face, sticking to it because of the blood and sweat. I must have breathed plenty of it in because my throat felt like it was lined with it, just another ache amongst many.

"Yeah, you're done." Bardock disagreed, grabbing me by the tail as he hoisted me up. Blood dribbled from my lips, my arms and legs swaying with every step. Weakly, I tried looking up - my right eye was swollen shut completely, but I could still see through my left for now.

Again, I found myself in the ruined center of a city. Buildings were little more than rubble, fires still raged filling a bubblegum pink sky with smoke. Not too far away I saw half of a massive spaceship jutting out of the ground where it crash landed. I'm sure that the other half was somewhere.

I could still see the remains of pointless defenses in the streets, bodies laying around them where the soldiers had died. Craters littered the city where bunkers once were for those that hadn't been evacuated. I was almost thankful for my broken nose because it meant I didn't have to smell the death in the air, a stench that I never managed to get used to.

Where we were now was once a city park, if I had to guess. There was no grass, only sand and stone, but there was a broken fountain in the center of it and there were no buildings nearby. Well, not counting the ones that fell over into the park.

"Hnngh…" I groaned when Bardock started walking up the steps to the ship. Leek proved his worth as a pilot. The outside of the ship took a beating, scuff and scorch marks peppering the exterior, but the interior was fine. Memories of a sky filled with lights, so many that it almost looked like it was day filled my mind. It was hard to imagine that you could avoid getting shot out of the sky, but somehow Leek managed it.

"Tuckered out again?" Fasha observed, relaxing at the entrance of the ship. She had a few cards in hand, Borgos sitting on the other side of the ramp with a few more. A card game that the saiyan race stole ages ago to help pass the time between missions.

"He really needs to learn his limits," Bardock grumbled. I'm pretty sure he thought I was unconscious. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I wasn't. With him grabbing my tail, everything kinda went numb, so if I wasn't already unconscious then I was about to be. "He just won't stay down. It's irritating as all hell."

Fasha chuckled as Bardock entered the ship, tossing a card at Borgos, who caught it, shook his head, then threw it back. "And now you know how the rest of us feel about you half the time," she ribbed him goodnaturedly, catching a card that Borgos tossed at her, grimacing, then taking two cards from her hand and threw them back.

"Yeah, yeah, I get enough of that from Gine. Don't need it from my team too," Bardock said with a scowl in his voice. "And at least I'm smart about it. He just throws himself at me."

Fasha sent him a Look, capital letter. "Of course he does. It's what you taught him." She observed and if my jaw wasn't broken, my lips weren't swollen and split, or my entire face was blissfully numb, I would have frowned at that. Bardock hadn't taught me a single thing so far.

"I taught him?" Bardock sputtered, gesturing with me in hand. A pain-filled groan escaped me as I bounced in his grip.

"Hate...you…" I rasped too lowly for them to hear.

"Back when he was training with saibamen, you let him throw himself at the enemy until he ended up like that every day. You didn't stop it, so that's what he learned. And it's worked out so far for him," she added with a shrug, gesturing to me.

Bardock just grunted, lifting me up until I was eye level with him. Weakly, I cranked my head back to look at him, starting an impromptu staring contest. Wait- this was my chance! I struggled to summon upon my ki, only managing it since I built up a tolerance to getting my tail pulled. "S-solar Fl-flare!"

A weak light shone out of my body instead of the blinding light that I had been counting on. I don't think Bardock so much as blinked to protect his eyes. He continued to stare at me for a moment, thoroughly unimpressed. Then I limply threw a punch at his face, it impacted with a light smack but that was it. Bardock just narrowed his eyes into a glare.

"I didn't give up...asshole," I gargled, blood pouring out of my mouth like a broken faucet. I think I might have bitten my tongue at some point.

"See? He learned that if he bashed his head against something long enough that it would give way before that thick skull of his does." Fasha pointed out, picking a card and launching it at Borgos.

Bardock just sighed, marching into the ship, Fasha calling after him. "You might want to fix that before he finds something harder than his head!" He didn't respond, but irritation rolled off him in waves. With well-practiced ease, he brought me to my healing pod before tossing me into it, the healing fluid starting to work it's magic.

I sighed in relief, wrapping the mask around my face as I breathed in deep. The air on this planet was a lot thinner than normal. Not enough to pose any issues, but it took some getting used to. My ribs ached with each breath, still, I chose the pain over not breathing at all.

Opening my eyes, I saw Bardock walking away. The fight hadn't always been a one-sided beatdown like it had towards the end. I got in more than my fair share of licks in - Bardock's armor was cracked and busted, blood seeped from the wounds I gave him as cuts and scrapes littered his body. Apparently, it wasn't enough to get in a healing pod in favor of going off to do whatever he had been doing for the past couple of weeks we were stationed here. With nothing else to do since the planet had been conquered, I closed my eyes and slipped into myself like I did countless times before.

It had been a week since we conquered this planet, Scarlot, I think. They...just kinda blurred together at some point. This one was Scarlot, the one before was Oat, then the one before that was definitely planet Reeee. I remember that one because of bug monsters. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of bug monsters. Stepping on that planet was like stepping on an anthill. Before Reeee was…

My eyes flicked open, the swelling on my right vanishing to nothing even if the cut still remained. For a long minute, I sat in the healing pod, doing my best to think about nothing. However, as they always did, my thoughts strayed to the things I didn't want to think about. Those things I always found myself thinking about when I was left alone, stuck in this healing pod when I pushed myself too far for too long.

Four years. I've been at war for four years. It really didn't feel like it sometimes. The days, battles and planets blurred together until they became one great big long fight. There were times it felt like I blinked my eyes once and here I was, just over seven years old. Other times...like now, when I was left alone with my thoughts, those four years seemed to have lasted an eternity.

I breathed in deep, noting that the pain in my ribs was gone. My gaze found my hands, some of my fingers a little crooked, heavily calloused on my palms and knuckles, with a deep tan on them instead of the pasty white I was before.

I shove my musings away in favor of shutting my eyes again, letting myself drift off as I thought of nothing at all. When I opened them again, the room was dark, telling me a fair amount of time had passed. Glancing at the monitor, I saw that my body was more or less healed so I hit the drain button. Stepping out of the pod, I shook off my any excess healing fluid as I peeled away my armor and undersuit. Tossing them aside, I grabbed a black sleeveless unitard looking one, my usual armor with black boots. Mostly because those were the only ones left available. Between seven saiyans and bouncing between battlefields, I guess it was only expected that we would burn through our supply of clean clothes.

Leaving the medical room, I walked by a yellow-tinted window and saw the familiar backdrop of space. We must have left the planet at some point. Brushing excess droplets out of my hair, I started to look for the others to find out where we were heading.

Naturally, the first place I went to was the cafeteria, finding two members of the squad playing a card game, countless plates stacked up between them so they must have just finished snacking. Tora noticed me first, Borgos glancing over his shoulder before returning his attention to the game.

"Tarble," he greeted, checking his hand before frowning at the move Borgos made.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, walking over to a freezer, opening it up to reveal that it was absolutely stuffed with food. Saiyans could eat pretty much anything, so one of the most common things looted from alien planets tended to be food since resupplies were...nonexistent. We were just sent from planet to planet, leaving almost as soon as we conquered them, they only communications we had with the Frieza-force were our next orders.

"Planet D'xe. Last stop before planet Sereall," Tora answered, getting a nod from me as I prepared my meal. A mountain of food was shoved into what looked like a blast furnace, heat washing over it to rapidly cook it. "I've made a bet with Shugesh that this one is going to have a special class scarab, you want in?"

I shook my head, watching my meal turn on a plate, almost like a microwave. "Suckers bet," I declined. Each world was slowly ramping their defenses the closer we got to the shield worlds. Space defense platforms, larger garrison fleets, and, most importantly, scarabs. Early on in the campaign, there were only a scant few sprinkled about. Now, there seemed to be a dozen on every world. Though, not as many as we expected.

Tora thought that the Reach was bluffing on how many they could make. I suspected that they were on other fronts. Our team has conquered...a couple of dozen planets? A hundred maybe? We conquered a lot of planets, but we were just one small front. There hundreds of teams just like us, all along the Reach border to slowly inch our way towards the shield worlds.

"Yeah, but that's Shugesh. Can't stop himself," Tora said with no small amount of amusement.

"How far out are we?" I asked, opening the oven, grabbing the scorching hot plate with a hand before bringing my meal to the table. At the opposite end of them. That way I would have a little warning when they tried to take something from my plate.

"A couple of hours. I was about to go wake you up. Again," Tora said, picking a card, frowning at it for a split second, before choosing another card to play. Borgos countered instantly, earning an irritated sigh from Tora as he tossed his cards onto the table. Borgos chuckled, taking his winnings and eating them in short order.

"Have we gone dark yet?" I asked, the mountain of food more of a small hill as it rapidly disappeared into my stomach.

"Hm. We're just outside the system now, so we're waiting to get in closer before we base jump to the planet." Tora explained, grabbing his drink and draining whatever was left in it with one gulp.

I nodded, having gotten used to the tactic that we were forced to use more and more often. They figured out how to pick up on our attack balls, the same way they picked up on our ships and FTL use. If they weren't jamming it outright. We found that out when we were greeted by a wall of fire as soon as we entered range. So, we were forced to adapt.

I finished off my plate, grabbing it and bringing it to an overstuffed sink. After spending a minute trying to find a place where it wouldn't fall over, I just set it off to the side to start another pile. With that, I left the cafeteria as Tora and Borgos started a new game. If I only had a few hours before the next mission, then I might as well make sure I was ready for it.

I circled the ship, making my way to the dock, where we would be departing. My mask hung up on a rack with the others, some wear and tear marking its white surface, but the seals were still good. As was the hose and the tank was topped up with air. My equipment was all good, and that took all of five minutes...so…

I sat down at the dock and waited. Bardock was the first to come down, sending me a look as he leaned against the wall across from me. I could feel his gaze on me as I waited for the mission to begin. I looked over at him, making him sigh. What was his problem?

"Are you just going to waste time down here? Why not do something productive?" Bardock questioned, earning a frown from me. I made a face - where was this coming from?

"We can't fight on the ship," I answered, giving him an odd look. Way too risky that one of us forget where we were and overdo it, destroying the ship and getting us all killed in the process. I used to do pushups and stuff but stopped when the others started making fun of me for it. And because I never seemed to get any gains from it. It was a lot easier to get stronger by fighting. More fun too.

"No we can't," Bardock started, sounding like he was annoyed. For what reason, I couldn't begin to guess. "You could do something else, though. All you do is sleep when we're not out."

Seriously, where was this coming from? "...What else is there to do?" I muttered defensively, frowning at him. There was nothing else to do! Whenever there wasn't a mission or a fight or a spar, I had no idea what to do with myself. So, I waited for the next mission.

Bardock looked away, tsking to himself as he crossed his arms. "I'm not your patron, figure it out yourself. Just do something other than sleep and twiddling your thumbs."

"...Did Fasha day something to you?" I hazarded a guess, earning an annoyed grimace from him in response. Now it suddenly made a lot more sense. "I'm fine." I clarified simply, hoping that would be the end of it. I didn't need anyone telling me how to spend my free time between missions. So what if I slept for days or waited patiently for the next mission? I wasn't hurting anyone so what did it matter?

Judging from Bardock's expression, it wasn't the end of it. "It's not fine. You're wasting your time." He refuted, opening his mouth to continue but the sound of footsteps stopped him. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "we'll finish this later." He promised as the others came down.

I wasn't looking forward to that, I thought with a grimace of my own, though thankful for the interruption. With any luck, he would forget all about this conversation over the next few weeks. Because we were about to get busy.

A light flashed as Leek's voice spoke through our scouters. "Docking bay is about to be depressurized. Put your masks on." With mine at the ready, it slid onto my face easily. I double-checked the seal, just in case, and found it was perfectly contoured to my features. The others did the same, Bardock giving the all good before air began to get sucked out of the docking bay.

A minute later, the docking bay cracked open, revealing a sea-green planet in the distance. Some chunks of rubble of its moon still remained, but it looked like they had long since cleaned up the remains. Instead, I saw a defense platform orbiting it - the Reach seemed to have taken the scarab design and ran with it. At the low angle we approached, coming from the southern pole, I saw that it was in the shape of a beetle.

The back was bulbous, the source of its energy and probably some kind of hangar. Arms branched out of the thorax, fanning out so each could fire without interference while the head took the form of a plasma weapon, the mandibles serving as a barrel. That was proven when it launched a bright blue ball of plasma at a saucer disk, thousand miles away.

A battle raged in space, a fleet of our ships battling against a garrison fleet. There were a dozen of our ships for everyone one of the Reach, swarming over their defensive positions around the superweapon that fired another shot. It missed, but the intense heat destroyed a dozen ships by proximity, overwhelming the shields and hull.

It was a mess of flashing lights and explosions, but, so far away, it looked so controlled as well. The Reach ships never strayed from their defensive formation, all of them bigger than the saucers that peppered their shields. I didn't know enough about space battles to say who was winning, but it looked like they were killing a lot more of us than we were them.

Though, judging from the flashes of light visible on the planet, the defense fleet hadn't managed to stop a Frieza-force army from landing.

"Tarble, Borgos, you take out the superweapon. The rest of us will deal with the fleet." Bardock ordered before we drifted out of the docking bay. "Leek, get yourself in there."

We soared forward at a subdued pace, careful not to be picked up on any motion detectors. With well-practiced ease, I only took deep breaths, holding them for about two minutes before slowly exhaling, perfect for making the hour of air that I had last for much longer. We flew in silence, all of us conserving precious air before Bardock gave the signal for me and Borgos to break off.

The two of us sailed towards the defense superweapon, it rapidly grew in size as we neared. I saw a light blue shimmering light surround it, almost like a bubble. An energy shield. I looked over at Borgos, getting a nod in return. Shields weren't just good for keeping ki blasts and missiles out, but alerting the defense platform when anything got in.

Taking one last deep breath, both of us plunged through the shield. I saw the superweapon light up, going on full alert. Along its thorax, hundreds of doors slid open to release countless drones. They looked different than the ones on Rockoroad. Slimmer, the wings had changed. A light blue bubble around the drones told me that they had shields as well. Probably not strong ones, but if it meant they could take another hit...

I cupped my hands to my side, drawing upon my inner energy, blue light piercing the intense darkness of space. "Kamehameha!" I yelled, a flash of blue light carving a line towards the weapon, rapidly closing the distance. My attack slammed into the side of the ship where the drones started coming from, the sleek metal giving way like tissue paper. Explosions wracked the surface as my attack punched through thick armor into the parts that weren't meant to be exposed to the vacuum of space.

Next to me, Borgos peppered the drones with rapid-fire ki blasts, destroying the bulk of them long before they could hope to reach us. Before long, my Kamehameha punched through the other side, when it did, I cut off the attack to form another.

"Kamehameha!" I yelled again, this time aiming for the end of the ship, hoping to hit something important. Another second later, the back began to bulge outwards before popping, almost like a balloon. My eyes narrowed as everything went white, recognizing the explosion as a plasma one. I must have hit the munitions storage. Lucky.

Immediately, Borgos and I started to fall back, the first domino having been tipped over so it was only a matter of time before it all blew apart. As we did, ki blasts flew from my hands, peppering the remaining drones until they blew up. Unfortunately, the Reach learned as the war progressed, so they stopped going inactive as soon as the mothership was taken out. Now the drones just followed their last order with suicidal efficiency.

"Superweapon is down. Heading planetside now." I informed, shifting my flight down.

"Save some for the rest of us," Bardock responded as we entered the atmosphere. Glancing over, I saw flashes of light as they laid waste to the fleet. I couldn't pay too much attention because the ground forces started unloading everything they had in our direction. Countless plasma blast raced towards us, aiming in our general direction but wide enough that it was impossible for them to miss.

Borgos reacted instantly, cupping his hands in front of him, white light leaking between his fingers. Tossing the ball of light forward, the ball hanging there as we descended, he looked at it the same moment I looked away. The large saiyan began to grow, his arms growing hairy as his skin was coated with fur. Most oozaru were around a hundred feet tall, Borgos was closer to a hundred and thirty.

Like so many times before, I watched one of my squadmates fall to the ground, the enemy focusing fire on the larger target. Borgos roared, slamming into the ground like a meteor, a large bloom of dust going up that left him obscured for a moment in the middle of what looked like a military base. Then it was all cleared away when he let out a ki blast from his mouth that carved an arc of destruction through the base.

Keeping the Power Ball behind me, the technique that made it possible for us to conquer these worlds, I flew down at a much more subdued pace. Plasma blasts slammed into Borgos at all angles, but the unified front was gone and Borgos was simply too powerful to be hurt from attacks like that now.

My eyes searched for larger weapons aimed to cut off his tail as he wrecked the military base with attacks that shook the planet. There was no logic to it, only reacting to things that attacked him and killing them with overwhelming force. Borgos would leave the area only when everything was dead, or something drew his attention away.

Spotting one, I fired a ki blast that slammed into one of the mounted guns back on Rockoroad. It hit dead on, exploding and killing the crew. From up above, I could see the military scrambling, this race of aliens almost looking like saiyans, only their skin had a reddish hue to it. It was really weird just how many aliens species looked alike, it was like the saiyan design got copied and pasted throughout the galaxy with only small tweaks to it happening here and there.

I fired again, destroying another mounted weapon. Then again, and again and again. Some aliens noticed me, firing the occasional stray shot at me, only to be destroyed in return. No sign of any scarabs. Yet.

Letting out a breath, I grabbed my mask and pulled it off my face, takin- no, no no, bad idea. I gagged, quickly putting the mask back on. Okay, clearing a landing zone for Leek just became priority number one. The air here reeked like rotten eggs, my lungs burned from the small breath I took, I could practically taste it. So, odds were it was poisonous as well. Checking my tank, I still had about fifty minutes of air left. Closer to two hours if I was smart.

I hated planets like these. Worse, there was no warning I was going to breathe in pure methane until I did. The Reach wasn't above ruining planets as a final 'up yours.' If anything, they went out of their way to start doing it to lower how much the planets were worth and to make fighting here a giant pain in the ass.

Slowing my breathing, even more, I watched Borgos destroy what was left of the military base within a few minutes. Only craters, rubble, and corpses were left behind when he started to wander forward, likely driven by his hearing since his sense of smell would be worthless. Hopefully, there won't be any lasting side effects for breathing in this air for so long.

I pressed my scanner, seeing millions of power levels on a general can with tens of thousands dead ahead, only a handful of them higher than 1,000. It was hard to tell which ones were the other team of saiyans and which ones were scarabs. Quite a few of them were over 50,000, and in my experience, that meant vanguard scarabs. One higher power level raced towards us, not so far away that I couldn't see that it was a scarab intent on stopping Borgos before he could reach the city.

I blasted forward, my scouter marking the scarabs location some distance ahead of me. 6500. Scout class. Taking in a long bracing breath, summoned my ki before launching an orb of it in the scarabs direction. At some point, they picked up some kind of sensor because the moment my attack neared, it swerved out of the way.

Shifting to look up at me, I saw the familiar black and blue pattern over its body, its scarab shifting into a jetpack while its arms melded together into one giant plasma cannon. Before it could fire a shot, it was forced to dodge a ki blast from Borgo's mouth by soaring upwards, only to be peppered by machinegun ki blasts as I closed the distance between us.

They wouldn't damage it too much, but it obscured my approach long enough that I could get in close. Sailing through the smoke, I slammed a fist into the scarabs face, sending it flying to the side before it could correct itself, aiming blindly with its plasma cannon and firing. Bright blue plasma cut through the smoke, heat washing over the back of my neck as I ducked underneath. Shooting forward, I pressed the attack.

This time it was more prepared for me, the large cannon splitting and shifting into twin swords, so much like the one that stabbed me through the heart years ago. I launched a kick at its head, gliding out of the way of a swipe meant to bisect me, before flipping to land an axe-kick. Its yellow-tinted eyes stared up at me where it blocked my attack, its blank mask radiating hate.

"You!" It was amazing how much hate and rage could be conveyed through a single word, through a translator, no less. "You're going to pay for this!" With its free arm, it made a swipe at me, intending to take my leg off but I flipped out of the way, summoning my ki as I did. As I fired off the ki blasts, I saw it take a wild swipe at me before it was knocked backward by the force. Twisting my way out of its path, I cupped my hands at my side.

"Kamehameha!" I shouted, rapidly forming the technique and firing it off. The scarab was wiser this time, flying out of the way, one arm forming a cannon while the other remained a blade.

"How many?!" It roared, rushing towards me with blind rage. It fired a plasma blast, missing by a mile as I raced to meet it halfway. "How many have you murdered, you monster?!"

I didn't respond, my hand catching the blade aimed to take my head off, guiding it out of the way as I lashed out with a leg, catching it in the stomach. It folded underneath my attack like paper, metal creaking, but other than that it was fine.

"Answer me!" It roared, lashing out wildly, firing its plasma cannon to push me back. It worked, forcing me to back off. It fired another blast to give itself more distance, then the scarab limbs attached it its body lifted up to point at me. My eyes widened a fraction when they fired off yellow beams of light at me. One hit my thigh guard, the plate fractured off but it did its job.

Frowning, I flew wide, lasers trailing behind me before I started to return fire. This was new. So was the alien. He fought like a scarab that just got one, a rookie that was still learning exactly what its suit could do. If there had to be surprises, then this was the best time to spring them.

Spinning, I slipped between two beams before changing direction. Lobbing another ki blast at it, the energy washed over the thick shield. Tsking to myself, I summoned another one, stronger this time, then launched it. Again, the shield remained. That was new. Did they change the liquid metal? Or was it a new method to it? There was a rumor floating around that they were infusing it with nanomachines, so maybe that was the case.

Again, I summoned another ki blast, the ki building from the size of a golf ball to a baseball then a basketball. Aiming it, it launched at the shield, this time it did more than wash over it. It punched through the shield, grinding away at it until it broke through it and into the alien behind it.

"Agh," the scarab grunted, a hole revealing I grazed its side, its shield and side reforming as liquid metal filled the holes. The metal suit shimmered, the surface rippling before bulged outwards. Its armor bulked up, the arms of the scarab going back onto the suit before sinking into it, the source of the extra bulk. I heard it struggle to control its breathing, not because of the pain but because of the anger.

"Why…" It bit out, a barely suppressed scream in its voice. "Why is it that you haven't turned into a giant monkey?" It demanded to know, earing a twitch from me at the slur. My lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to answer.

What would be the point? What would it change? Did the fact I didn't want to massacre civilians matter at all? No, not when they all still died anyway. I just wasn't the one doing it. My reasons and justifications felt hollow to me already, I didn't need to say them out loud to know that they were pathetic excuses.

The scarab snarled, the shield shifting into a massive cannon that fired at me. I sailed out of the way, darting towards it as a plasma beam arcing towards me but too late. I closed the distance between us and slammed my fist into the side of its head. It jerked to the side, dazed, but not out of the fight. As the cannons split apart, turning into swords to split me apart, I flipped over them to plant my feet into its face.

It shot back, its jetpack struggling to keep it afloat, but no real damage. The armor was made of some pretty tough stuff.

"How...how...how could you do this…?" It asked itself more than me. I'm not sure if I gave it a concussion, but its eyes looked unfocused- ah. It was looking behind me. I didn't need to look over my shoulder to know what was taking place, even this far away, if I listened closely, I could hear the destruction. Borgos had reached the city. "What does Frieza want? Why…" It trailed off, its shoulders sagging.

Then it squared them, finding its spine as it looked up at me with not rage, hate or malice, but determination. I knew that look even if I couldn't see its expression. It was an expression only a select few ever wore in their lives. It was an expression that could only be worn when something was staring the end in the face and they said 'Not today.'

I saw that expression countless times over the past few years. It always ended the same way.

"Riot Javelin," I uttered, a spiraling blue orb of ki formed in my hands before I launched it at the scarab. The scarab slapped its arms together, a mega plasma cannon that attached itself all the way to its chest formed. It fired a blast, meeting my attack dead on. Undeterred, the Riot Javelin pushed through the plasma, too small to stop it dead in its tracks, but that didn't matter. It raced towards the source, slamming into the barrel of the cannon and kept going.

A bright explosion lit up the sky, heat washing over my face. At this point, I was used to it. Smoke hovered in the air, obscuring the scarab for a long second before something dipped out of the cloud. The scarab. A corpse.

A large hole punched through its chest, destroying the scarab on its back. I learned over time that the only way to put them down was to destroy the scarab. Otherwise, they would just use the corpse as a puppet to keep fighting.

I watched it fall, smoke trailing behind it. I couldn't tell if it was dead, but I hoped it was. At the very least, I wanted my kills to be clean and quick. The scarab hit the ground, forming a crater on impact, andy laying still. When the liquid metal receded, there was nothing to tell it apart from the countless other corpses that surrounded it.

"I really hope Bardock never learns I stole his technique," I mused, tearing my gaze away to look out at the city. It was haunting how quickly the sight of a rampaging ape reducing a city to ruins could become so familiar.

I found myself glancing down at the corpse I made one last time, its words ringing in my head like a bell.

I wish I had an answer.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my , so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	11. Sight from a different perspective

There really weren't words to describe the 'oh shit' moment that I had when I saw a power level that was six digits long. My head snapped to that direction so fast I would have given myself whiplash if I was a lesser species, my jaw-dropping. It was hundreds of miles away, so I could only hope that it was a saiyan going oozaru, but even then they must be crazy strong to start with.

130,000. There were only two saiyans that could have a power level like that, and since one of them was back on Planet Vegeta, ruling it as its king, that left one option. Vegeta the Fourth, my older brother. Or, considering I hadn't seen him in over four years, it was just as likely that it was a super powerful Reach weapon.

A stray blast slammed into my chest, my armor protecting me from any damage, brought my attention back to the battle at hand. Looking over, I saw Borgos assault a city, his ki breath laying waste to entire blocks and fortified positions, but the Reach soldiers didn't budge. They fired away at him with hundreds of plasma, laser, and physical munitions - the Reach doctrine when dealing with oozarus was more or less throw everything they had at us and hope that something stuck.

I couldn't tell if someone was trying to snipe me out of the sky, or if I was just hit with a stray blast. Frowning, I raised a hand and fired off a ki blast into the bottom of a building. Glass and metal exploded outward, blasting out the fortified foundation. Slowly, the thirty-story building began to tip over, raining glass and rubble on the street below before slamming into the ground with a giant plume of dust.

Borgos fired another ki breath beam, illuminating its place in the darkness as he grabbed a scarab themed tank, crushing it with an oversized hand. Then the dust was illuminated with blasts of plasma and lasers, the defenders digging in even deeper, intending to make Borgos work for every inch.

I wondered if they knew they were dying for little more than an inconvenience. They were set up to defend against armies, air support and so on. Not a giant great ape that rampaged through their defenses like they were nothing. Though, at the very least, it meant that they had evacuated the planet since nothing got in the way of a military defense quite like civilians.

"They're trying their best," I noted, watching the slaughter dully. I glanced up at the sky, seeing glimpses of the battle still raging in space. I think we were winning, though. Between the fleet and the rest of the team, they should be mopping up the enemy fleet, so we should be getting some army support.

I fired another ki blast, glancing again at the stupidly high power level. Was it Vegeta? He wasn't on planet Vegeta a few years ago when I returned from my first mission. It was safe to assume that he was out on missions just like I was. Still, what were the odds we would wind up on the same planet? If I ever saw him again, I expected it to be on planet Sereall.

Should I be excited? I wondered to myself, taking out a squad that was getting into position to try something. It wasn't like we were close or anything, I met him three times my entire life and each time was brief. Even still, my mind drifted to the last time we saw each other.

Don't die.

I won't.

As far as saiyan farewells went, it was a pretty standard one. He relayed a message, said goodbye and that was that. I shouldn't be looking any deeper, expecting to find something that wasn't there. The fact of the matter is, we might share parents, but I wasn't family. King Vegeta's filling stood — until I reached the elite-class, I was just another low-class saiyan. Expecting some tearful reunion was...too human.

I mean...should...I try to find him later? Or just wait until we ran into each other, it was a big planet but we had to run into each other eventually, right? I-

Another blast raced towards me. I dodged out of the way, firing off another ki blast that destroyed a building and taking out the defenders inside. With a shake of my head, I pushed my thoughts to the side. There was a time and a place to think about my family situation, the battlefield wasn't it.

I raised my hand to do another ki blast, only for the building I was aiming to blow up before I could blow it up. Dust washed over me, forcing me to sail a little higher to get a better view of what just happened. It was just the building, so it couldn't have been Borgos. If it was, the entire block would have been gone.

Craning my head back, I looked up to see it was one of our ships. A laser weapon jutting out of the bottom of it, looking almost out of place as it fired off another shot. Its shields shimmered as plasma and lasers slammed against it, some defenders trying to take it down. In response, flying at speeds that shattered the sound barrier, it strafed over the city, several bombs dropping. The explosions shook the city, great blasts of fire erupting from the ground.

Then a defender anti-air laser cut through the ship's shields like they weren't even there. A portion of the ship exploded, drifting down low enough that it slammed into a building. At the speed it was traveling, it crashed through another two before slamming into the ground, little more than a compressed ball of molten metal.

Frowning, I checked my scouter to see that more power levels were heading in our direction. The battle above seemed like it was still raging, but a few ships were breaking off. Probably to secure footholds. Not too soon either, I thought, very aware of my limited air supply.

More ships began to drift down, some attempting to bomb the city with more success than the first one, while others touched down just outside of the city. Instantly, the large doors slid down, letting a train of hover tanks and other heavy artilitary with soldiers following behind. They set up, marking the perimeter with an energy shield, while the tanks came to a stop some distance away before they began bombarding the city.

They wouldn't come any closer. Oozaru attacked everything that came near, though the prioritized things that attacked first. Until Borgos changed back, they couldn't get any closer.

The soldiers themselves were made up of hundreds of species of all shapes and sizes. The only thing they had in common was the Frieza-force armor they wore. There were lizard based species, giant ogre looking ones, some that almost looked saiyan, and mixed in the lot were saiyans. My eyes caught one as he strode down the walkway, a massive saiyan with a bald head and thin mustache.

It took me a moment to place him since he didn't have hair anymore. Nappa. One of the mid-class saiyans that oversaw Vegeta's training. So, that power level was probably Vegeta. That was...great.

Nappa must be using his scouter because I saw him glance in my direction shortly before I heard him speak in my ear. "What squad are you with?" He asked in a tone that demanded an answer.

"Bardock's. I'm Tarble," I answered. There was some military mumbo-jumbo that I was supposed to say, but I never got the hang of it. Plus, there were few that didn't know who Bardock was so it was never an issue.

"Tarble? Huh, I owe Parslee a few meal tickets…" He muttered. Judging by his tone, I'm guessing that he wasn't betting that I was still alive. I would be offended, but this wasn't the first time this has happened. I got used to it eventually. "Why haven't you gone oozaru?"

After four years of hiding the fact that I refused to go oozaru to mindlessly slaughter cities, I had an answer prepared. "To make sure Bargos's tail doesn't get shot off," I answered instantly. It was our greatest weakness out in the field and the Reach knew it. A perfectly plausible excuse.

"Hm. Get over here then, the armor you're using is out of date." He ordered, coming to a stop as he crossed his arms. Sparing a glance at Borgos, seeing that he still had everything in hand, I blasted off towards Nappa. Despite the distance between us, it didn't take long for me to reach him. Now that I was so close, I saw the army digging in its own fortifications since making the HQ in a ruined city rarely ended well anymore. The Reach had a nasty habit of leaving big bombs as parting gifts.

Touching down, I looked up at Nappa. He was still stupidly big, two of my heads could fit in his biceps. I barely reached past his knee, if I wanted to look him in the eyes then it would take at least three of me. Still, after standing next to guys like Tora and Borgos, being so small in comparison felt normal. I really couldn't wait until I hit twelve and had my first growth spurt.

"Here," Nappa greeted, grabbing a saiyan that tried to run by, yanking the armor off him, before tossing it to me. The saiyan sputtered as I looked at the armor over, spotting the changes. Around the waist was a slot for my tail to go, which would protect it when I went oozaru. The shoulder guards were more squared, though there weren't any thigh guards.

Shrugging mine off, I put it on, frowning in discomfort as I fed my tail through. I've long since abandoned the idea of trying to use it as a weapon in a fight but having it so restricted felt wrong.

"Thanks," I said, glancing over at the saiyans that had his armor stolen to see him staring at me with a slack jaw and eyes so wide they could have rolled out of his skull. His scanner was marking me. I suppressed a smirk as I turned to Nappa, feeling pride at the reaction. Then that pride turned into nerves. "The power level over there, is that Prince Vegeta?"

Nappa nodded, shoving the saiyan so hard he flew, crashing to the ground in a heap. I guess he didn't know how to fly. "That's him. One of their strongholds, pretty much hollowed out a mountain and covered it with some kind of super-hard metal. With a bunch of scarabs, anti-orbital guns and so on, it's shaping up to be a tough nut to crack." He said, giving me a savage grin.

I nodded, feeling a thrill race through me before logic took over. Whatever was strong enough that it made Vegeta go oozaru, then it was way, way, way stronger than me. But…

"Go on and reinforce him," Nappa said, sounding like he was letting me go have a ball at a jungle gym. "I'm stuck getting this lot into position for now, and Vegeta's squad could use the support."

Right. "Okay," I agreed with a nod, turning to Vegeta, my scouter narrowing down all but the highest in that direction. 130,000. 50,000. 48,000. 30,000. 22,000.

The strongest was Vegeta, but the next three couldn't be saiyans. The war stretched across countless worlds, sending so many mid-class and an elite-class saiyans here didn't make sense. So, either those three were other members of the Frieza-force, which I doubted, then they were scarabs. The one was probably a saiyan.

"Could you make sure that Brogos doesn't get his tail cut off? Shugesh got his cut in half not that long ago and it hasn't fully regrown yet," I asked, earning a nod and a smirk from Nappa.

"Sure thing kid. Have fun and try not to die," Nappa agreed, striding forward to lead his army. He fell into the roll easily, barking orders and threatening to wipe out platoons for not being fast enough. Already I could see the HQ taking form, getting ready to expand our grip in every direction.

After topping off my air canister with now purified air, I shot off in the direction of the raging battle. Punching through the sound barrier, I raced forward, trying to imagine what I was about to fly into. The three stupidly high numbers had to be vanguards, or maybe one of those special new units that I hadn't seen yet.

Ignoring the excited jitters that raced from the tip of my toes to my fingers, I caught the first hints of the battle. Everything below me was little more than a blur, but I still saw the craters that stretched for miles. When I flew over one, I couldn't see the bottom, others reshaped a deep green coastline as the ocean rushed to fill in some craters. Rubble of cities, of spaceships and military hardware littered the ground, all of it growing more frequent as I neared a mountain in the distance.

I didn't know what it was called, but it was stupidly huge, jutting out of the horizon like a sore thumb. With the sun and a power ball hanging above, the mountain stood out that much more with a metallic sheen that could be seen from miles away. It didn't look like a real mountain, I realized as I got closer. It looked like the Reach built a base in the shape of a stupidly huge mountain, putting every single weapon they could think of and as many as they could fit.

"This is Tarble of Bardock's Planetary Elite Squad," I informed as I approached, spotting several oozarus, all of them wearing similar black armor that I now wore, all except one. Vegeta wore stark white armor with the royal family's emblem displayed proudly on his chest. Scattered around them were ruins of Reach and Frieza forces. "I'm here to assist. Where do you want me?"

"Tarble?" Came a booming voice in my ear, so loud that I nearly fell out of the sky in shock. It took me a moment to figure out that it wasn't my volume setting that was the problem. It was one of the oozarus speaking into a scouter. I searched the oozarus for the obvious speaker, only to see that all of them wore scouters. Giant ones that clung to the sides of their heads, looking like it stretched to scale like our armor.

"...Vegeta?" I hazarded a guess, watching him blast at a giant scarab shaped defense platform that was nearly as big as he was. The metal collapsed in itself, the heat too much for it, before long the machine was reduced to slag. With a hand, Vegeta grabbed half of it, using it as a convenient shield to protect him from an energy blast coming from the mountain.

Once the plasma was down washing over it, Vegeta threw it at another defense platform on the mountain that rained fire down on the attackers. However, before it could crash down on it, it was blasted to pieces from a scarab unit. Bigger than most, but still small in comparison to Vegeta, it's jet black armor stood out as it flew around, to attack the prince.

80,000. Another scarab joined the fray. I stood absolutely no chance against that, even if I did go-

"Don't transform," Vegeta ordered, blasting at the scarab that returned fire, cutting a long mark against the front of Vegeta's armor. "You'll just get yourself killed mindlessly attacking. Go support Raditz and stay out of my way." He ordered, lashing out at the second scarab, it moved too fast for me to see.

"Got it," I agreed with a nod, heading to the other oozaru. They didn't move like Brogos or others when they went oozaru. Their body language didn't express complete and utter rage, nor did they mindlessly attack everything. It was weird, but they almost acted normally, only in the shape of a great ape.

Raditz, the other oozaru, wasn't faring nearly as well as Vegeta. His armor was broken and chipped, wounds littered his body, and the other scarab started to attack at his waist to break through the thick armor protecting his tail. 30,000 and 20,000. What...what was Vegeta expecting me to do here?

Hanging back, I tried to track the scarab as it flew circles around Raditz, forcing the mid-class saiyan onto the defensive. His massive arms were pulled close to his chest, protecting his vitals, trying to keep his back away from it. I heard a low growl come from Radditz, his glowing red eyes making it impossible to tell what he was looking at but his head jerked around as if he were trying to find the spec of black armor.

I couldn't take it in a straight fight. It was flat out impossible. My strength grew by leaps and bounds, but a vanguard unit was still well out of reach. No, all I could do was open up an opportunity for Radtiz to take it out. Now, what could I do to manage that? A bunch of ways. Just which one wouldn't leave me a smear on the ground? A lot fewer options with that filter.

A sigh escaped me as I settled on a plan, blasting off towards the fight as I cupped my hands to my side. My eyes bounced around, trying to get a lock on the scarab, only managing to make myself dizzy in the process. Hitting it with a Kamehameha was pretty much impossible with it moving around like that.

"Raditz, close your eyes in ten seconds," I ordered, thrusting my hands out as dozens of ki blasts erupted from the palms of my hands, showering the are where the scarab was.

"W-what- How dare you order me-" Raditz started, whatever else he had to say was lost to me when a blast of plasma raced towards me at breakneck speeds. I only managed to dodge it because I was ready to, blindly throwing myself to the side as I got a lead on where it was. Cupping my hands again, I muttered, "Kamehameha!" Before thrusting them out as the ki blast rushed towards where the scarab was.

My attack erupted when it hit the ground below, missing the scarab entirely. Flying back, I caught a glimpse of the scarab moving towards me. With no time to spare, I summoned upon my ki, "Solar Flare!" I shouted, hoping that Raditz had his eyes closed before a blinding flash of light erupted from me.

I wasn't dead, so my attack must have worked. Cracking open my eyes, the vanguard clutched at its face, the thin eye covers not enough to protect its eyes from the piercing light rays. "Raditz, now!" I yelled, summoning a Riot Javelin to my hand before lobing it at the scarab. It slammed into its shoulder, scuffing the thicker armor, but managing nothing else.

Before it could counter, Raditz acted. A massive hand came down on the scarab, slapping it to the ground hard enough it shot down like a speeding bullet. "HA!" Raditz laughed, stepping over and stomping on the scarab. "Take that you pathetic- Ah!" Raditz shouted a moment before a bright blue plasma blast burned a hole through his foot.

A snarl escaped Raditz's lips, pulling his foot back as a ki blast formed in his mouth. It shot down the same moment he moved his foot, not giving the scarab a chance to dodge. For a moment, all I could see was dust, though my scouter picked up on the scarab, meaning it wasn't dead.

Raditz jumped on the scarab, pushing the dust in the air away with a massive blast of wind. With it gone, I spared a glance over at Vegeta's fight. He was still lashing out at the buzzing scarabs, his armor heavily damaged with his fur singed in a dozen places. One eye was clenched shut as he snarled his rage.

He was winning, despite appearances. It was just that it was a lot closer than it should be. Even if I put both their power levels together, Vegeta was still stronger than them by nearly a third.

My eyes narrowed when he smacked on out of the sky, the other distracting him so he couldn't finish it off. As powerful as Vegeta was, I realized, his body was too slow. Even though he wasn't blinded by rage like Bardock and the others were his body trade pure power for speed and technique. He couldn't use ki blasts other than ones that came from the mouth, flying in short bursts…

The oozaru was the saiyan race's trump card. It let us go toe-to-toe with aliens like the scarabs, who were easily four times stronger than our strongest in our base state. Yet, if there was another scarab- no, another two or three, Vegeta would lose that fight easily.

My lips pressed into a thin line as I watched a fight I could barely see, Raditz finishing off our opponent. When I first saw Vegeta's power level, I felt nothing but awe and fear, but...maybe I was expecting too much, but I thought Vegeta would be crushing those scarabs with ease. Instead, the fight was a lot closer than it should be.

Our ultimate trump card seemed a lot less invincible as I watched one of the two elite saiyans alive struggle with four vanguard class scarabs.

It was because I was watching the fight I saw something fire out of the mountain from one of its few defence platforms. My eyes tracked it, seeing that it wasn't a missile or plasma blast. As it shifted direction, racing right towards me, I realized it was a scarab. Silver in color.

"Get out of the way!" I yelled to whoever could hear, throwing myself out of the silver scarabs path. If that got on me, then it would take control of my body, making me a slave to the Reach. The same went for everyone else - I hadn't seen a saiyan scarab soldier, but I heard rumors about them. If it got on one of our best then-

My thoughts were interrupted when the silver scarab shot past Raditz, directly towards the dying scarab. I realized my mistake too late when it merged with the black scarab, melting into it until the only traces of its existence could be seen in the dull silver highlights that traced the edges of it armor.

88,000. My jaw dropped at the new power level. The scarab pushed itself up on two feet, showing its back to me so I could see the second scarab mounted on the back of the first. They melded together, just enough left of the silver one to see that they were once separated. Then it slapped its arms together, an utterly massive plasma gun forming that jutted out of its chest.

"Raditz-" I managed to get out before a large blast of plasma slammed into him, burning a hole through his side. He cried out, clutching at his side as he went down. The scarab flew up, taking aim again at him. Before I could think better of it, I cupped my hands together and shouted, "Kamehameha!"

My attack did exactly nothing, not that I expected it too. As the blast raced from my palms, I spoke, "Vegeta! One of them got a massive power boost, 88,000-" I felt my kamehameha get pushed back as a plasma blast was aimed towards me. Knowing it was a losing battle, I threw myself out of the way as I tried to think my way out of this one.

There wasn't one. I couldn't do anything. Even if I did go oozaru, it would still be more than twice as strong as me. But…

"Bardock, we need support. I'm with Prince Vegeta. Get down here!" The order sounded a lot like a request. With that, I turned my gaze to the Power Ball and everything went red.

* * *

"Hnngh…" I groaned, peeling my eyes open when I felt something kick me in the side. Blinking my hazy vision away, I looked up to see a familiar mess of hair. I squinted up at Bardock, the saiyan had taken a beating. He was covered in scrapes and dried blood, I don't think I have ever seen him this injured. "...did we win?"

Bardock grunted, lowering a foot that he was going to kick me with. "Define winning."

"Not dying to accomplish our objective." I could never tell when he was being rhetorical or not.

"Then it was a draw. We lived but had to withdraw," he said, jerking his head to the left. Stifling a groan, I pushed my head off the ground to see the mountain still in the distance. Frieza-forces bombarded it with everything that they had, only for the shields to block the worst of it and whatever covered the mountain proved to be durable. All the while it fired back- Bardock pressed my scouter into my hand, which I must have lost at some point, letting me check out how bad we were getting our buts kicked.

120,000. 88,000. 80,000. 50,000. 45,000. 8,000. 8,000. 5,000.

"Oh shit," I breathed, amazed at what I was seeing. So we didn't managed to beat the supped up scarab, and Vegeta failed to kill the other two. Worse, was there a special class scarab in the mountain? I hadn't seen one before, but if it was nearly as strong as Vegeta in his oozaru form… Much, much worse, apparently three other scout classes found their way here, or they left the interior of the mountain to put a halt to our assault. I don't think we were losing, per say, but we definitely weren't winning.

"Yeah, that sums it up rather nicely," Bardock muttered, looking to the side to bring my attention to the rest of our team. All of them looked worse for wear, all except Borgos, who munched his way through a pile of rations. "We came down when we got your call. Went oozaru to overwhelm them with numbers, but apparently it didn't work. We came to a little earlier."

I nodded, resting my head back against cool dirt, looking up at the cloudy pinkish sky. "What about Vegeta and Raditz?" I asked, trying not to sound- oh, right. Raditz is Bardock's son. Normally, I would say that didn't matter but Bardock was weird so it entirely possible he actually cared what happened to his kid. If only because it increased his reputation for fathering a mid-class saiyan.

"They're fine. Raditz is in a healing pod. Prince Vegeta is off doing something," Bardock answered, his tone carefully blank. I couldn't begin to guess if he was worried or not about Raditz, but at least he wasn't dead. So, there was that.

"Do we have a plan?" I asked after a moment of silence. We couldn't just get an asteroid and drop it on the mountain. Lord Frieza forbade any attack that would devalue a planet permanently since he intended to sell them when the war was done. That left taking it. From what I saw, the progress we would make would be measured in inches.

"We do," Vegeta said from behind me, startling me and Bardock. I ignored a pang of pain in my ribs as I sat up, looking at the prince. He was taller after having his first growth spurt. Now he looked like an eight-year-old at twelve instead of a four-year-old. He looked down at me, his ruby red scouter reading me.

"And that would be, my prince?" Bardock asked, his tone so polite it sounded sarcastic. Vegeta sent him a look, crossing his arms as he sneered at the taller saiyan.

"You lot need to learn to control yourselves when you go oozaru," he explained, sounding like he'd rather pull teeth than let us learn. "You attacked our soldiers as often as you did the scarabs - we can't afford those kinds of distractions." He said, glaring at Bardock. I looked between them, seeing Bardock smirk ever so slightly, it was only because I spent four years with him that I noticed.

There was something I was missing here. Whatever it was, it could wait.

"Tarble, come with me. Your training begins now," he ordered, turning on his heel. His armor didn't have a cape, so it was left to my imagination to see it dramatically fluttering behind him.

I stifled a groan as I forced myself onto two feet, glancing at Bardock as I stood, catching him giving me a look. It was one I was very familiar with. It was the look that only appeared when he was planning to kill all of his enemies in one swoop. The expression vanished when he caught my eye, giving me a nod.

"Tarble!" Vegeta snapped, getting my attention. Giving Bardock a nod, I rushed after Vegeta, who took off into the air. Now with a birds-eye view, I saw the defensive line stretch off into the distance, practically surrounding the mountain. Hundreds of thousands, possibly even a million, soldiers laid siege to the mountain. With those scarabs in there, I didn't feel great about our chances.

I fell in line just behind Vegeta. Now that we were alone, I had absolutely no idea what to say. What would two saiyans that were brothers but couldn't acknowledge that fact talk about when they're trying to conquer a planet?

"What about the others?" I asked, trying to find a topic to talk about. It seemed like a safe bet.

"Nappa can teach them. The mid-class can teach the mid-class. I won't waste my time with them," Vegeta dismissed, getting a twitch from me. Thankfully, he didn't have eyes in the back of his head so he didn't notice.

I mean...technically speaking...

I snuck a glance at Vegeta as we entered another bubble, this one far behind the front lines, set up for our training. We lowered, touching down at the center of the bubble. Vegeta wasted no time forming a Power Ball before tossing it up overhead. Then he turned to look at me.

I tried not to fidget underneath his heavy gaze that reminded me far too much of King Vegeta's. Eventually, he found whatever it was he was looking for because he gave a small nod as he crossed his arms. "You've made acceptable progress," he declared, earning a perplexed look from me.

Was...that a compliment…?

"Thank...you?" I tried, waiting for the but to show up. Vegeta just smirked at my reaction.

"It took your leader Bardock over thirty years to reach a power level of 6500. You managed it in four," he explained, making me stand a little straighter in response. Pride filled my chest as I struggled to keep my expression blank - I was a lot stronger than I was four years ago, but I still had a long way to go before I reached elite-class and I didn't want to ruin my ride on cloud nine with that reminder.

Small steps. I was now the second strongest member of Bardock's squad, having overtaken Tora a few months ago, who had a power level of 6200. The entire squad had grown by leaps and bounds; Fasha was 6000, Shugesh and Borgos at 5900, with Leek finally breaking into the thousands with 1100. All of them grew significantly thanks to our brutal spars, some of which left me closer to death than any battle so far. The entire team was mid-class if you excluded Leek.

"You're already past the halfway point to your goal, at the rate you're going, it'll only take a few more years for you to become an elite-class. Learning to control yourself in oozaru form will only make you reach it faster," Vegeta said, giving me a firm nod. I tried not to stare at him, giving a nod back to hide how I felt. I think I managed it because Vegeta didn't make a comment about it.

I didn't expect this. Not really. My goal of reaching the elite-class, to be acknowledged by my family, was a pipedream at best. For four years, I fought tooth and nail every step of the way to get as far as I had and I did it all alone. There were days when I barely believed it was possible. I knew for a fact that Bardock and the others were just humoring me.

Then Vegeta says something like that, like my ascension to the elite-class was a foregone conclusion.

"The technique to controlling yourself is a closely guarded secret. I expect you to keep it to yourself," Vegeta started, earning a nod from me. "Good. It is rather simple, but much more difficult in practice." He said, his expression becoming grave. I swallowed thickly, nodding again to show that I was following along.

"When you begin to transform, gather yourself like Hmmmm!" Vegeta hummed, clenching his fists as a look of intense concentration appeared. "The instincts of the great ape will try to overwhelm you, driving you mad with rage. Resist them like this; hnnn!" Again I nodded, bracing myself. "You have to maintain it until the transformation is finished. When it is, you have to crush your instincts like this; AHHHH!" He shouted, throwing his arms up high.

"Hnnn," I started, drawing into myself like I did so many times before. I looked up at the power ball, absorbing blutz waves and I felt the transformation begin. The transformation was slower now that I was fighting against it. My teeth got longer, turning into fangs as my body began to bulge, growing in height and muscle mass. I felt the primal rage of the oozaru begin to surge-

* * *

"Ugh," I groaned, blinking rapidly as the sense of deja vu overcame me. Looking around, I saw Vegeta stood some distance away with his arms crossed.

"You failed the second step. Do it again." He ordered, tossing another Power Ball into the air.

I had enough time to bring myself up to my knees before I felt the transformation start-

* * *

"Try it again." Vegeta ordered, his words bringing me from the blissful realm of unconsciousness. Again, he formed another Power Ball, tossing it into the air-

* * *

"Again." He-

* * *

"Again."

* * *

"Again."

* * *

"Again."

* * *

"Again-"

* * *

"Ughhhh…" I groaned, collapsing on my back, every part of me feeling like it was stretched too far. The only thing I could compare it to is what I imagined it felt like to be a stretch armstrong toy. Every movement was pure agony, it certainly didn't help when Vegeta wandered over and kicked me in my ribs. "Ow."

"Get up," Vegeta ordered, kicking me again, a deep scowl on his face. "It's not that hard." He stated though I'm not sure if he was talking about getting up or controlling oozaru. Knowing him, it was probably both.

After spending pretty much all of this lifetime pushing past my limits, I was used to ignoring my body's screams for me to stay down. This time was no different as I pushed myself to my feet, my legs wobbling, finding it hard to balance since my tail was still locked inside my armor. Vegeta nodded, though there was still a frown tugging at the edges of his lips.

"The second step is the most important. You have to fight against your instincts. If you can't do that, then you'll never master this." You'll never become elite-class went unsaid. "Some of your squadmates have already made more progress than you."

My lips pressed together into a thin line. I couldn't imagine that the others were having as much trouble as I was. Fighting against my instincts just felt unnatural. I relied on them to keep me alive for the past four years when I was constantly in over my head. To push them away went against everything that I learned until now.

"Make another Power Ball," I asked, giving Vegeta a nod, getting a smirk in response. For what felt like the hundredth time, he formed on in his hands before tossing it up. I gathered myself, distantly aware that Vegeta backed off to give himself space to change as well. My body began to grow, my vision started to grow red, fur growing on my neck and arms…

I felt my instincts raise, commanding me to destroy everything around me. There was no rational thought. Just base desires for death and destruction. Bashing my head against those instincts wasn't working. It could work for Vegeta, Bardock, and the others because they were pure saiyans.

I wasn't. My past life left a stain on my current one. The parts of me that still remembered being human...they were why I couldn't bring myself to massacre civilians. I don't know how to put it in words that didn't sound overly dramatic, but it felt like that was one of the last ties to my human life. A saiyan warrior could slaughter billions, down to the last man, woman, and child until that species went extinct.

And I couldn't do that. Massacring civilians, aliens that were trying to flee rather than fight back, it just felt wrong.

In a way, being human had crippled me. In others, it was my greatest strength.

I drew into myself, separating myself from the instincts in me that demanded that I lay waste to everything. Just like I did so many times before back in the gestation tank, the healing pod and every chance I got, I pushed my feelings away and withdrew into myself. I imagined a bubble around me, protecting my mind from the wrathful instincts of the oozaru.

My body grew, stretching and bulking up equally. I saw the ground grow more distant through red-tinted vision. I could feel my body becoming more powerful. The feeling that I became very familiar with after each day with the saibamen, it seemed to grow alongside my body until I was standing at a height I didn't know existed. As my strength grew, the stronger my instincts to destroy became. They were a roaring monster screaming in my ear, deafening me, but I continued to push them away until they were nothing more than a whisper.

I wasn't dominating them like I was supposed to. Instead, I pushed them away and kept pushing until the maddening rage felt distant. It was still there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to explode. But, for now, I was in control.

"I think I did it," my voice boomed, my giant maw feeling awkward as I spoke. I moved it as naturally as I did my normal lips, but my mouth felt longer so it caused this weird dissociative feeling. Everything had a red tint to it, I noticed as I looked over at Vegeta. My body felt stronger than I thought possible - I felt invincible.

But...that wasn't true, I was quick to remind myself. I watched Vegeta struggle with those scarabs. As powerful as I felt right now, there was still plenty on this planet that could crush me. Testing my arms, I threw a quick jab, trying to summon upon my ki, but it felt...wrong. I couldn't form it, shape it into an attack like I did so easily in my base form.

The drawbacks I noticed earlier seemed more pronounced now that I was in control. I felt so incredibly powerful, so the weaknesses stood out that much more. Maybe it was too early to tell, but would I be able to use any ki attacks in this form or was I stuck with the breath attack? Could I make myself faster to keep up with the scarabs-

"What do you mean Nappa is dead?!" Vegeta roared into his oversized scouter, his beastly voice echoing across the clearing, sounding impossibly loud. My gaze shot to him, my shock nearly making my control slip on my instincts. Nappa was dead? One of our mid-class saiyans? How-

"Bardock killed him when he went oozaru?!" Vegeta snapped, answering my unspoken question.

Oh. That wasn't good.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my , so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!


	12. Sight Adverted

A short set up chapter. Things really kick off next chapter.

* * *

"What's the big deal?" Bardock asked, leaning in his chair far enough that I'm sure he was hovering to stop himself from falling over. His arms were crossed, a finger tapping impatiently against his bicep, matching the dull frustrated expression that he wore. "I lost control when he was teaching me to control my oozaru form. Wasn't like I was trying to kill him."

I could hear Vegeta's teeth grinding over the sounds of distant explosions from the battles that shook the planet. We had to go inside one of the ships since there was some kind of storm raging on the surface of the planet. It was almost like a sandstorm, except with shards of glass mixed in. The squad and I were fine, but some of the aliens in the Frieza-force looked like they had been flayed alive.

"He was a mid-class, you trash," Vegeta snarled at Bardock, his hands curled into fists that made his gloves creak.

"So am I, prince Vegeta. Nappa bit off more than he can chew," Bardock reminded a hungry smirk on his face. Vegeta blinked, not believing it with a scoff. Even still, he pressed down on his scouter to make sure which got an odd look from me. Did the Frieza-force not keep up with our power levels? I would have thought since the scouters could somehow communicate halfway across the galaxy that they would automatically update our info when we did self scans.

"6899," Vegeta spoke, sounding like he swallowed something sour. He tsked, crossing his arms and glared at Bardock's seemingly uncaring attitude. Everyone in this room knew better than to believe it. "I suppose you would be strong enough to defeat Nappa's oozaru…"

General Nappa had a power level of 6500, the same as me. They would have been neck and neck...but...Nappa would have been aware. Bardock wouldn't. With nearly identical power levels, Nappa should have won hands down against a wild opponent.

Bardock's gaze flicked to me as if he could see my doubts about his story. "He must have been rusty, leading armies at the back instead of getting mixed up in the thick of it. When was the last time he had a proper fight?"

Vegeta cocked his head, considering that. "Hm. Too long, it would seem," he answered. By that, Vegeta probably meant none. Coordinating a planetary siege and assaults was beyond complicated. It wasn't something that you could put down for a couple of hours to get a decent fight in, then go back to grand strategy meetings. It was constant analysis, eliminating variables...hm. I wonder why Nappa accepted the position. It sounded awful.

"As I see it, I must have come out the gate swinging. He wasn't ready for it. From what I heard from the rank and file, it doesn't sound like it was a long fight. Nappa slipped up and killed himself with my fists," Bardock said, shrugging his shoulders as if to say 'what can you do?'"

Vegeta let out a breath, accepting the reasoning with a nod of his head, even as he scowled like he swallowed a bushel of lemons. "Nappa's death was his own fault," Vegeta decided. "He should have been more prepared, at the very least he should have read your power level to make sure he was actually strong enough to stop you."

That was...a little fast? I understood that it was because that Vegeta probably didn't care that much about Nappa, but I could help but think that verdict came a little too fast. I guess it was a case not crying over spilt milk, only the milk in this scenario was Nappa's brainmatter. Despite my doubts, I held my tongue. I wasn't going to give Vegeta a reason to kill Bardock.

"Great," Bardock said, pleased with his innocent verdict. Smug almost.

A protest weighed on my tongue, a leap in logic that Vegeta hadn't considered. Bardock's…'case'...hinged on the fact that he was mindless when he went oozaru. Nappa was a general, rusty or not, I had a hard time seeing someone like that make the mistake of not being ready for a mindless oozaru. It stood to reason that, maybe, Bardock hadn't been mindless.

If Nappa was prepared for a mindless oozaru, then he wouldn't have been ready for one in control. Nappa's cause of death couldn't be identified since his head was stomped on until it became mush. Entirely possible it was the naked rage of a mindless oozaru...or, possibly, covering up evidence.

But, in the end, it didn't matter because Vegeta wasn't done.

"But, a general of the Frieza-force is dead because of you Bardock. For this, I sentence you to death," Vegeta informed, a sharp grin on his face as he raised a hand. Dark purple ki formed in the palm of his hand, lighting up the small room we were in. Bardock tensed, ready to spring into action-

"Wait," I called out, speaking for the first time. Vegeta didn't fire off the ki blast building up in his hand, while Bardock stilled, waiting to see my play. "Can it wait?"

"Wait?" Vegeta echoed, frowning at me.

"We just lost a mid-class, and we haven't even conquered this world yet. Why waste another?" I asked, seeing the ki blast dim ever so slightly. "The rest of the Frieza-force isn't going to crack this nut, it'll be us. If you execute him now, then that's just making things harder on ourselves."

Vegeta looked at Bardock, who still sat in his chair, a picture of relaxation, but I saw how tense he was. The look in his eyes only appeared when he was caught by the tail against a foe he couldn't beat alone. I didn't see that look very often - I could count the times on one hand and still have fingers left over, so it really stood out when he faced off against Vegeta.

"Hm. Tarble does have a point," Vegeta decided after a long minute of him drawing out the suspense. "Killing you like this would be a waste. Since you made this problem, the very least you can do is help clean up your mess Bardock." He said, lowering his hand, a smirk on his face, taunting Bardock.

Bardock didn't rise to the bait in favor of nodding, "and how exactly will I be doing that, prince Vegeta?" He asked, settling down so all for chair legs were on the ground.

Vegeta pointed out the window towards the mountain of metal, the explosions around it nearly making it impossible to see as it repelled the assault on it. A particularly large explosion as the mountain was hit with a superweapon of some kind from one of the ships in orbit rumbled through the ground, shaking the ship. The window was filled with a bright light, the sound of the explosions lagging behind.

All three of us glanced through the window as the light faded, none of us were surprised to see that the mountain was still there. It took some damage, the metal glowing cherry red, some parts giving away, only for the surface of the mountain to glide back up, undoing any success the superweapon might have had.

"I want you to take that mountain. It's been a day and it still hasn't fallen," Vegeta decided, his expression set in a glare, his gaze lingering on me as he turned on his heel to walk out of the room. He really did master the cape flutter. "You have until I get tired of waiting."

With that, Vegeta strode out of the room, the door slid shut behind him. I stared at it for a moment, keenly aware that this was one of the few times I ever got to speak with my brother before I turned my attention to Bardock. He got out of his chair, turning his full attention to the mountain, mulling over the mess he found himself in.

"Why did you kill Nappa?" I asked, walking over to stand next to him. Bardock glanced down at me, neither of us wearing scouters so the chances of someone picking up on the conversation was practically nonexistent. That was provided that Vegeta didn't bug the room, but I really don't think that was in his character despite meeting him only a few times.

Bardock didn't answer for a long moment, then he shrugged, "I have my reasons." He admitted without answering my question. That was annoying. "Have you mastered controlling your oozaru form?" He questioned, and I would have thought he was trying to change the subject if it wasn't for the fact that we now had a pretty tough nut to crack in front of us.

"I did. You did too," I accused without any real heat behind the words. He murdered Nappa. I mean, I didn't really know the guy, so it would be a lie to say that I really cared that he was dead. I was more annoyed that Bardock landed us in this mess than anything.

"Hm," Bardock nodded, confirming my words. "I've been trying to get a handle on it for about a decade now, but I made some nice progress the past year. I guess it gets easier the stronger you are," He explained, narrowing his eyes when the mountain was hit with another blast of the superweapon, the outside becoming incredibly bright.

...Huh. So, he didn't need to trail with Nappa to master his oozaru form. Was he just trying to cover his tracks, since he would have been a low-class warrior trying to learn a mid-class skill? Maybe, but that didn't explain why he killed Nappa, though. Unless killing Nappa was the goal the entire time. And that brought me to my original question. Why kill Nappa in the first place?

"What about the others?" I asked, my hopes falling when I saw Bardock shake his head.

"Fasha and Tora are making decent progress, but they won't learn it before the deadline," Bardock said, tilting his head as the mountain wasn't hit by one superweapon, but two superweapons at the same time. When the light faded, I saw that there was more damage, but the metal began to expand into the crater that surrounded the mountain.

The metal rose upwards, forming guns and weapons and drones that immediately unleashed a torrent of plasma and explosives on the Frieza-force's positions. It was expanding too. I wonder how long it would be before that metal coated the planet?

"Should we use weapons?" I asked, watching as the mountain shot down a cruiser, the large disk-shaped ship descending from the sky with a trail of smoke marking its path before it slammed into the mountain with a large explosion. When the smoke cleared, I saw that the ship was still on the mountain, the mountain still standing, but was it...eating the...huh.

"It's liquid metal, so EMPs are going to be useless," Bardock agreed.

"Antigrain?" I questioned, thinking that would be good for punching a hole into the mountain. Then it would just become an issue of, you know, those stupidly powerful scarabs inside. What were we going to do against them? I doubt that we could fit in the halls in our oozaru forms…

"Hm," Bardock didn't answer, to busy watching as the mountain rapidly broke down the ship, adding it to its mass. The mountain got larger, more weapons appearing- it would have gotten even bigger if it wasn't hit by another blast from a superweapon, the ship proved to be a lot less durable than the mountain.

"Go round up the team. We have a mission," Bardock said after a minute of silence. I hoped that meant that he had a plan. I didn't question him what it was, I would learn it soon enough, so with nothing else to say I simply nodded and walked away. I spared him a glance as he continued to stare at the mountain, paying me no mind, then the doors slid shut behind me.

A sigh escaped me as I stepped out of the ship, a large bubble around the HQ that kept the glass storm outside. It didn't take the Frieza-force long to set up shop - defensive positions were set up, buildings for food while others served as barracks. Turning to my left, I saw hints of an overflowing medical station. Aliens of all kinds wandering about with white bandages over them where they stood outside for too long.

A quick look around didn't reveal where the others were. The HQ was growing to be absolutely massive, a significant portion of the army being stationed here, so hunting them down was going to take way too much time. Luckily, scouters were handed out like candy so all I had to do was ask for one.

"Hey, you," I greeted some kind of lizard thing surrounded by what looked like a blue orc thing and a purple alien that had a head that reminded me of an octopus. "Can I borrow your scouter real quick?"

The three of them turned to look at me - well, the looked up then after a few very long seconds, they finally looked down enough to see me. The Ogre narrowed its eyes, "you a saiyan?" It asked, sounding like it handing over willing hinged on that answer being no.

"Yes. So, can I use your scouter?" I asked, glancing between the three of them. "Please?" I tacked on, getting the impression that wasn't going to do the trick.

"Heh, a saiyan saying please. Never thought I'd see the day," Octopus said, letting out a teetering laugh that creeped the hell out of me. I'm not sure why it made it, its face looked normal so I figured that its voice box would be the same, but apparently not.

"Why don't you say it one more time, with a snorkleberry on top," Ogre said, a smug grin on his face as he chuckled. It was moments like these that really hammered home that I was on the bad guy side. I mean, these guys were giving a child a hard time for his race. What a bunch of dicks.

"Or, I could just take it," I commented lightly. I guess this is what I get for trying to be polite. At that, the chuckling fell silent. Lizard tapped his scouter as he got up, all of them towering over me - I barely reached Ogre's knee. I shoved any stray thoughts that they could be stronger than me to the side, and if they were...well, then I had a fight on my hands. Either way, I didn't lose.

Lizard's expression told me that they were weaker than me when my power level came up. I saw it swallow thickly, its dark yellow eyes going wide as...sweat?...dripped down its brow. Did lizards sweat? That was weird. I didn't like that. Lizards were meant to be cold-blooded - I mean, in a way beyond mass murder that the Freiza-force specialized in.

"What is his- oh," Ogre muttered, using his deep red scouter. All of a sudden, all three of them looked very nervous. I would be a liar if I said that it wasn't a good feeling watching them fear me. It made me feel...strong.

"Can I please borrow your scouter?" I asked again, holding out a hand that said the request wasn't really a request. Lizard wasted no time taking the scouter off his face and pressing it into my hand. Its expression could be summed up as regret, twitching like it expected me to blast them. Which was fair, I guess. Most of my kind would.

"Thanks," I said, putting it on and tuned into the Bardock squad's frequency. "Hey, this is Tarble. Where are you guys? We have a mission." I said, then added, "oh, and Bardock's not dead."

"Always nice to hear. We're in the cafeteria. Get here fast, they have these little meatball things and they taste great. Borgos is going through them fast though," Tora answered me, giving me a direction. I took off the scouter and ignored the impulse to crush it out of spite for annoying me. Instead, I tossed it back to Lizard, who caught it with some fumbling.

It opened its mouth to say something, but I didn't care enough to hear it. Especially when I could guess what it was about to say. "Bye," I said, flying off and leaving the three in the dust. Hopefully, I wouldn't see those guys again. I sailed towards the cafeteria, touching down in front of it just as a handful of saiyans were walking out, their stomachs distended from overeating.

I ignored them as one nudged the other, bringing his attention to me as I stepped inside. "Isn't that the low-class prince?" I heard once ask as the door slid shut behind me, cutting off whatever the other was going to say. I crushed whatever annoyance I felt - I was mid-class now. Why couldn't people at least call me the mid-class prince?

Stupid delayed announcements. I was probably going to have to deal with it until the war ends, whenever that happened. I was quick to ignore the issue when I spotted the rest of my team sitting at a table, careless of the looks they were getting from the other aliens that surrounded them. The looks could best be summed up as scared.

After all, excluding Leek, the entire team was made up of mid-class saiyans.

"Tarble, try one of these," Tora greeted, tossing me a perfectly round meatball. I gave it a quick glance before popping it into my mouth, trying very hard not to wonder what it was made of. It tasted pretty good though. "You said something about a mission?" He asked while the other chowed down, I noted that all of them were dressed in the newest armor.

I was going to have to think of a new excuse soon. With them learning how to control their oozaru forms...it really was a matter of time before I was exposed, wasn't it?

"Vegeta wants us to take out that mountain," I explained, walking over and grabbing another meatball. As if to punctuate my words, I felt the vibrations of the mountain getting his with another blast from our superweapon. "Bardock might get executed after we're done, though," I added, paying close attention to their reactions. Fasha and Tora shared a look, Borgos kept eating, while Shugesh and Leek looked alarmed.

"Well, I guess we'll have to convince Prince Vegeta that Bardock's too valuable to kill off then, won't we?" Tora said, standing up. "Where is he?"

The others started to get up, finishing off their meals as I answered. "Flagship," I told them, ignoring the looks I was getting from the other aliens in the room. More than a few were not so stealthily scanning me, those that did were easy to see by their nervous expressions. It was hard to think that a few years ago, I was weaker than everyone in this room.

"Right, let's go," Tora said as we took off back towards Bardock. As we touched down a few seconds later, entering the ship, it started to sink in what our next mission was. Taking out the mountain was, well, it was quite the mountain to overcome. The mountain itself...it wasn't the real issue, it was hardly the first time that the Reach did something like this, the issue was the scarabs with nearly a hundred thousand power level.

I lead them to the room that Bardock was in, finding that he was still standing in front of the window as if it would give him the answers to his questions. He glanced over as we entered, only speaking when the door slid shut behind us.

"The mountain is made of liquid metal infused with nanomachines, so, with the control they're showing over making weapons pop out of it, there has to be some kind of central command center. To take out the mountain, all we need to do it take that out, then it's going to be reduced to a giant mountain of metal." Bardock began, getting a nod from us. A single point of failure was becoming increasingly rare as the war progressed, but I guess when you had scarabs like the ones they did, they could afford it.

"We'll use antigrain warheads to make a couple of entrances to slip in and I've confirmed that we can get some covering fire so we can get close. But, we'll be going in completely blind. My bet is that it's somewhere in the center of the mountain," Bardock said, not exactly inspiring hope but he wasn't trying to. He wasn't trying to psych us up, he was telling us what our job was.

"So, we're breaking out the big guns to make sure we get it. Antimatter explosives," Bardock said, earning a blink of surprise from me. Antimatter warheads were a lot like antigrain, except a lot bigger, meaner and not so much as an atom would be left.

"How much of a time delay?" Tora asked, crossing his arms. An antimatter explosive, there might not be much of a mountain left.

"Five minutes," Bardock, making me frown. Bardock caught me doing it, turning his attention to me in a silent demand of an explanation.

"Can't we just hit it from the outside then?" I asked, wondering why we had to be inside to do it. Anitmatter was antimatter, liquid metal was tough and nanomachines could repair any damage it suffered, but none of that mattered when there wasn't so much an atom left of the mountain and everything in it. It seemed needlessly dangerous to go inside, race against the clock when there was a much simpler solution.

"We could," Bardock agreed with a nod of his head, "but, if we do it that way, the higher-ups won't be impressed enough to stave off my execution." He explained, turning his attention to the entire team. "We could do it that way. The mission first, the team second and pride last." Bardock reminded, making eye contact with everyone. His gaze had a certain weight to it that reminded me of the few times I saw King Vegeta.

So, this was a bid to prove that Bardock was too invaluable to execute. Despite being in the army for a few years, I didn't understand the chain of command in the slightest. Could someone overrule Vegeta about executing Bardock? I didn't even know what Vegeta's rank was. Hell, I didn't know what my rank was.

"We're going to be walking into a death trap to save your life?" Fasha asked with a fearless grin, "sounds fine to me. You've saved me more times then I want to count, so I guess it's finally time to even the score." She said, throwing her hands back to cup the back of her head.

Bardock let out a huff, cracking a smirk. "Little soon for that kind of talk. Odds are we're going to die in that mountain," he reminded, getting a shrug out of the team. Myself included.

"I thought suicide missions were our specialty?" I asked with a small grin, giving myself a mental pat on the back for the line. Tora let out a bark of laughter, smacking me on the back as he sent Bardock a nod to confirm that he was in.

"Well said," he complimented, sounding like he meant it. "You know I'm in. I can't wait for you to finally owe me one," Tora said, Bardock's smirk growing into a smile. It wasn't the battle smirk that appeared when a plan came together and he turned a certain defeat into an overwhelming victory. It almost looked...wholesome, in a way. It also looked really out of place on Bardock's face.

"I'm in too," Shugesh offered with a shrug, "I still need to pay these bastards back for cutting my tail in half." Borgos nodded to show that he agreed, chewing a piece of meat, a bandage patched over his face. I don't know where Leek was, but since this was a combat mission, he would be pretty useless.

"What's our timeline?" Tora asked the good-natured grin on his face slowly transforming to a serious expression.

"Don't have one beyond to not make Prince Vegeta wait too long," Bardock answered, getting a confirming nod from me. "But, I don't want to test the patience of royalty. We have a day to rest up, find out what we can about the mountain, maybe a less obvious way it, but then we go in." Bardock said, his gaze sweeping over us again.

The fact that this mission had even worse odds than our usual went unsaid. Without being able to go oozaru in those tunnels, then running into a vanguard scarab was a death sentence. Even a scout was stronger than any of us, not to mention the silver scarabs that can give them a power boost.

"... Actually," I spoke up, a thought striking me as I pondered the issue. Without a shadow of a doubt, we would die when we fought a scarab down there. Worse, because it was an enemy base that we were flying blind into, at least one of us running into a scarab was practically guaranteed. If that member of the team was carrying the bomb, then the mission failed and we would all die for nothing. Without the oozaru form, we just couldn't compete. "I have an idea. It might take a couple of days - I don't know if it's even possible," I admitted, catching Bardock's interest.

"Don't stop there, what's your idea? We'll take anything at this point," he commented with a nod of his head, giving me the floor.

"When I controlled my oozaru form, and when I saw Vegeta fight a few vanguard scarabs, I noticed a bunch of weaknesses." I started, mind dredging up a memory. A memory that had to have come from before the tank since nothing else like it existed yet. "I couldn't use my ki very well and because I was so big, I felt really slow. When Vegeta fought the vanguards, they flew circles around him." I added, getting a nod from Bardock and a low whistle from Fasha.

"I've noticed the same," Bardock agreed. "What of it?"

It was possible. I knew it was possible. I just had no idea how to do it.

"What if there's a way to tap into the power of the oozaru form without transforming?" I asked, looking up at Bardock, making my face appear as serious as possible. He stayed silent even as Shugesh chortled.

"The power of the oozaru form comes with a change in biology kid," he reminded, placing an oversized hand on my head. Even still, I stared up at Bardock to convey that I was serious.

"Like a partial transformation, or something. Even if it's not times ten our base power, doubling it would practically guarantee that we'll survive any scouter class scarabs we run into. And we'll still be able to use our techniques," I said, picturing the form in my head. Yellow eyes lined with red, a body covered in red fur except for the chest. A primal form between oozaru and saiyan.

Bardock stayed silent, not breaking eye contact as Shugesh started knocking on my head for ignoring him.

It was possible. I had no idea how to do it, but it was possible. Being clueless hadn't stopped me from learning a dozen techniques that existed only in my own mind, and it wouldn't stop me now. Not when the lives of my entire team counted on it.

"You really think that can be done?" He asked me, his tone just as serious. Shugesh stopped knocking on my head, the team turning their attention to Bardock.

"There's no way that's possible," Fasha offered her opinion with a shake of her head. "If it was, then someone would have managed it ages ago."

"The number of saiyans that could control their oozaru forms in our history is less than a hundred," Bardock countered, still looking at me. "It's possible that none of them ever tried. Mastering our oozaru form is supposed to be the pinnacle of our power - what if none of them bothered to take it a step further? I can't imagine King Vegeta or that brat prince ever trying."

I ignored a twinge of annoyance at the insult to my family in favor of listening as Bardock spoke. "Do you really think it can be done? It's a long shot and we don't have a lot of time."

I didn't hesitate before I nodded, certain that it was possible.

"One way to find out."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	13. Sight Tinted Red

"Stay small," I told my body, fighting against the transformation that tried to overtake me as I stared up at the Power Ball. My teeth grew, sharpening into fangs as I grit them hard enough they could shatter, a vein bulging out near my eye, one had already burst in my eye from the strain. I felt myself grow another inch, fur growing on parts of my skin.

"Stay small," I repeated, trembling with exertion. It was like trying to make my heart stop beating - going oozaru in response to blutz waves was a natural reaction, just like a surge of adrenaline before a fight, or drooling when you were hungry and a huge meal was in front of you. I mean, it was a little different because of the whole, you know, becoming a giant ape but the principle was the same.

"S-stay...small!" I bit out, sweat dripping down my face as I fought the growth. In response to my words, I grew another inch. That one proved to be the point of no return, I grew another inch, then a foot, then a yard and the next thing I knew I was over a hundred feet tall despite fighting the transformation with every tooth and nail that I had.

The sigh I let out hit the walls of the crater I was in with explosive force, sand spilling down in an avalanche to cover my boots. Grumbling to myself, I pulled myself free before I undid the transformation, feeling myself shrink back down. Again, I tried to fight it.

I tried to keep hold of that feeling of power that the oozaru form offered, that intoxicating feeling that made me feel like I was invincible. My body shrunk just as fast as it grew, the transformation following biological triggers, only to hesitate when I approached my normal height.

"Hrrrg!" I grunted, gritting my teeth, my vision tinted red not just from my oozaru form, but I'm pretty sure another blood vessel popped in my eye. I grasped that feeling of power with all my strength, trying to keep hold of it as the transformation began to fade. I felt it slipping between my fingers like grains of sand, no matter how tightly I squeezed, I couldn't keep hold of it.

Then the transformation faded entirely. Sweat poured off my body, my exhaustion enough to drive me to my knees as I ignored more displaced sand that flooded over my hands and feet. My breathing was ragged, my body pushed to its absolute limit. It felt that way for the past two days of this training.

Worse, I had absolutely no idea if I was doing it right. I couldn't tell if I had made any progress at all. I gained better control over my oozaru form, but that was about it. And it was useless against what resided in that mountain.

Even still, I wiped my face with my forearm, pushed myself back to my feet and looked up at the Power Ball hanging overhead. I braced myself against the transformation, slowing it to a crawl. The feeling of power began to course through my veins, my bone-deep exhaustion vanishing without a trace, replaced by strength. My senses got sharper, I could feel my strength doubling, then tripling and so on.

It was possible. I just had to figure out how to harness it. "Ahhhhh," I let out a low groan as I furled into myself, clenching my hands so hard that my palms bled. My fists shook from exertion, my nails growing longer, fur appearing on my arms. "HNNNNNGGH!" I grit my teeth, trying to push the transformation down, clutching at the power that it gave me, trying to separate the two.

The fur on my arms began to recede, leaving behind bare skin. That was progress. I was making progress! Now, to keep going…! "Ugghhhh," I groaned, feeling the power of the oozaru form begin to slip out of my fingers like smoke in the wind. Just a little bit was enough, all I needed was proof that it was possible. That would convince Vegeta to give me a little more time to master the technique. I needed something to prove that I hadn't wasted two days.

"Come on," I yelled, feeling myself start to transform again as I kept hold of the power. The instincts of the oozaru form bashed against my control, demanding that I let go and lay waste to everything. It was like I was fighting on two fronts and I was losing on both of them. That never stopped me from pulling out a win before, and I wouldn't let it stop me now.

I grew an inch, then another, but fur didn't grow anywhere I could see. My teeth were a little too sharp, my vision was tinted red, there were traces of the transformation but I think I was keeping the worst of them at- then I grew another inch, forcing me to clamp down on transformation, losing my grip on the power and felt myself weaken as I shrunk.

"No," I had time to curse as my control over both weakened until I was forced to choose to maintain control over my oozaru form. I shot to over a hundred feet tall, nearly losing my balance since my tail was still fed through the armor to protect it. I stumbled back, breathing heavily, probably breathing in more sand than air at this point.

Slowly, I nodded to myself, "again." I told myself, forcing myself to shrink back down, clutching at the power with all of my strength. Again, I tried to maintain control of both, only to manage neither. Exactly like I had for the past two days with no rest.

"Still stuck on that, huh?" I heard a voice ask, making me lookup. Bardock floated down the deep crater I used as my training ground, peeling off a black mask as he did so. Up above us both were one of the shields around the HQ to keep out a glass storm that raged on the surface of the planet. Already, the effects of the storms were having an effect on the planet - wildlife and plants were being flayed alive, the same for our soldiers if they didn't get back soon enough.

Now, we were forced to rely on rations and corpses for food, our supply line our lifeline to continue fighting on this planet.

I tried to speak but my throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper, forcing me to nod my head instead. I coughed a few times when Bardock answered, clearing my throat so I could say, "it's possible. I'm so close, but I just…" I didn't know how to put it in words, trailing off in a frustrated huff.

Bardock nodded, looking like he believed me. "I saw, you can hold the transformation off for about a minute now." He said, getting a disbelieving look from me.

A minute? That was it? It felt so much longer, though. It felt like I've been down here for forever and a day.

Bardock tossed a water bottle at me, I caught it and gulped down the contents, not realizing how thirsty I was until water rushed down my throat. "How much longer do you think it'll take?" Bardock asked as I poured some of the water on top of my head to cool myself down.

I looked down in response, which was all that Bardock needed to know. A sigh escaped as he scratched at his scarred cheek. "We're running out of time, Tarble. Ran into Vegeta today," he said with some amusement, "well… let's say that I doubt we have another day before he decides he's waited long enough."

A day? No, less than a day. It was nearly nighttime now. That… "I can do it," I insisted, my lips pressing together into a thin line. "I just need a little more time, then I can do it." The image of it was so clear in my head, the form that I strode to achieve, but the road getting there wasn't as simple as I thought it was.

Bardock let out a huff, "I actually believe you." He told me, getting a sharp look from me. "The others are saying it's impossible, so they're searching for stuff like a way in or intel on what exactly we'll be facing, but I think it's possible. I just don't know if you can do it before I get executed-"

"I can," I interjected, my hands curling into fists as I forced myself to my feet. I felt like one giant pulled muscle, my body screaming for rest but I've spent years ignoring my limits pleas for me to stop. "I just…!"

I didn't know how to put my relationship with Bardock into words. He was my caretaker before he became my teammate, and most of that time I thought he was trying to murder me. For years, I followed his orders, no matter how little sense they made until I found myself obeying without thinking about it. I trusted him as my leader. I trusted that he wouldn't throw my life away unless there was no other choice.

I trusted Bardock. Period.

Vegeta, my brother by blood even if no one acknowledged it, wanted to kill him.

"Yeah," Bardock agreed, knowing what I was trying to say. "I got overeager. I saw an opportunity and didn't think it through. Guess King Vegeta and his clone have it out for me."

"Why?" I asked, not sure what exactly what 'why' I was asking him.

Bardock fell silent, taking a seat on the sand as he offered a careless shrug. "I have my reasons for killing Nappa," he answered without answering my question. Something churned in my gut, my jaw clenching at the half answer. He purposely wasn't answering my main 'why.' Why did he think King Vegeta and Vegeta were out to get him?

Saiyans didn't have a law of justice. The general consensus was on murder was 'you should have been stronger to stop yourself from dying.' Bardock killing Nappa was hardly against our laws, but he was right, Vegeta did seem to have it out for Bardock. So, maybe the better why was why they were out to get him?

But that wasn't why my stomach churned as I wiped my mouth, finishing off the water. It seemed as much as I trusted Bardock, he didn't trust me anywhere near as much.

I pushed the issue to the side, not wanting to think about it anymore. I had bigger problems to worry about - like my suicide mission without mastering this new technique. I took in a deep breath, blinking a few times before I looked up at the Power Ball hanging above. The transformation started instantly, forcing me to brace myself against the rage of the oozaru form while trying my best to keep hold of the power.

I focused on the feeling of that power coursing through me, searing the sensation of my power doubling and tripling and quadrupling and so on into my brain. That was the key. If I could tap into that feeling, then I could do this. I struggled against the transformation, seconds ticking by as I ignored Bardock watching me.

I fought against it with everything that I had, I struggled to maintain my hold on my sanity, stopping the transformation and keeping hold of the power, only for the latter two to slip out of my hands when I nearly lost my grip on the first. I found myself over a hundred feet tall again, biting back a frustrated growl as I renewed the fight again, and again I was met with the same result.

"Hm," Bardock hummed, sounding amused. I glared at him, seeing him smirk in response. "Do you know what your problem is?" He asked in a tone that told me that he apparently knew the secret to the technique. I let out a sigh, knowing exactly what he was about to say.

""You think too much,"" I said at the same time he did. Luckily, he was more amused than annoyed at me mocking him. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing sand off his butt as he walked over. "How confident are you that you can do it this way?" He asked, approaching me.

I hesitated before I answered. I knew it was possible. I was absolutely certain of it. I could feel myself keeping hold of the power despite not being a giant ape, so it could be done. I just had to figure out a way to keep it.

"I'm certain," I confirmed with a nod. Bardock looked at me for a long moment before patted me on top of my head.

"In that case," Bardock started, "you need to stop thinking and let your body do the work for you. Going at it like this won't do any good, you need a fight to make up break through your limits."

Ummm...who...exactly was I going to fight, in that case? "Put this on," Bardock said, smacking a mask over my face, a small bubble forming around my head to keep shards of glass out of my eyes and ears. They didn't hurt that much, but they were irritating as all hell to dig out of your ears. With that, Bardock secured his own mask before we flew upwards through the shield that covered a mile-wide crater that was just as deep.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we plunged into a raging glass storm. Sand and glass battered us at every angle, so thick that I couldn't see Bardock's face when I glanced up. I couldn't even tell which direction we were going. Bardock didn't answer in favor of continuing to go up. We left the dust cloud, it continued to rage underneath us, telling me we were in low orbit, just below the clouds.

The horizon was a mess of flashing lights as the Reach struggled to keep ahold of the planet. Our fleet bombarded the surface of the planet, supporting our armies as they advanced to clear through the resistance. We had conquered large swaths of land, slaughtering armies and civilians alike since not all managed to evacuate in time. Some places still held out, like the mountain, though there weren't many left already.

This was the last planet before we hit a shield world, so it was going to serve as a staging ground. Armies on this front were being sent here along with their fleets, before long we would hold this planet by virtue of outnumbering the Reach a million to one.

"We're going to find you a decent opponent," Bardock informed, a hand going up to tap his scouter before he flew off back down to the surface, heading towards a major battlefield. A port city under siege by the army, though calling it a city was a bit of a stretch at this point. Only a few buildings remained upright The number of buildings still standing could be counted on one hand, and by the end of the day, I'm doubting that any would as the army bombarded the city.

There were no clear lines of which force occupied which part of the city. I saw blaster fire traded from street to street, tanks rolling up and leveling buildings as drones flew above the city, battling it out for air superiority. The city had a washed-out look to it now, having suffered glass storms for nearly a week, wearing down all the paint and shine a city had. Now, it was a dull gray of concrete, black with soot and smoke where it wasn't.

At the center of it all, as it fired a missile from its shoulder that took out an entire city block, the heat from the blast illuminating its dark armor. A vanguard unit.

"How strong is it?" I asked, staring at my new enemy. It didn't have the silver outline, so it wasn't an enhanced scarab. Cautious excitement hummed in my veins. It was a vanguard unit, but, with my oozaru form then I could win. If what I needed was a kick in the butt to tap into that power without transforming, then this would do the trick.

"70,000," Bardock answered before he pressed his scouter to the side of my face before pulling out another deep green one. I confirmed the power level with a tap of my fingers, stretching some to get the last traces of exhaustion from my body. "Do you think you can win? Without backup?" He asked, making me pause.

The technique I was thinking of...it could multiply my power by ten, easy. So, my power level would be 65,000. So, I would be at a disadvantage, though a small one. One thing that I noticed with the fight between Vegeta and the scarabs was that hundreds of points in power level got treated similarly to single points back when I was fighting saibamen. So, that 5000 pl difference wouldn't be as much as it sounded.

"I can win," I said, confident in my victory. A few short years ago, I would have stared at Bardock like he grew a second head that started singing if he tried to put me against a vanguard scarab. Or I would have assumed that this was his newest tactic in getting me killed. Now that I was stronger, that I had hundreds of fights underneath my belt, now that I could control my oozaru form, I felt confident. 70,000 power level or not, I could win.

"Then get down there then. Our side is getting slaughtered," he said, a smirk on his face as I blasted off towards my new enemy. Was our side getting slaughtered? I could never tell in city battles. As I flew, I turned on the friendly-enemy function, the Frieza-force soldiers highlighted with purple while non-Frieza-force were highlighted with red. There was a lot more purple than red, but the purple seemed to be dying in droves as the vanguard unit reduced another block to a crater.

I needed to grasp that power. I needed to do it without the Power Ball either, the form I sought was connected to the oozaru from, but the Power Ball was a crutch. I blasted towards the vanguard scarab, summoning ki to my palms as I reached deep within myself, searching for that massive well of power that lurked within.

Nothing. I wasn't feeling the pressure yet. I threw the ki blasts at the vanguard, the black scarab twisted midair, sensing the attacks to blast them away with a shot of plasma. It was no contest between the ki and plasma, forcing me to duck below the attack as I sailed forward, feeling the heat on my back. I gathered more ki in my hands, feeling my heart rate start to pick up - there was no way that it wasn't.

I was fighting a vanguard unit on my own. No backup. The only times we had taken one down before was with a team effort and we were all in oozaru form, so none of us remembered the fight afterward.

"I can win," I told myself, clasping my hands together, gritting my teeth as I searched for the power of the oozaru form, only to find nothing. "Ka…" I clasped my hands together, dodging another blast of plasma that came close enough that my hair got singed. "Me…"

The vanguard didn't sit and wait for me. Its thrusters grew by half, blasting forward to meet me. It's shoulder pads lifted up, revealing a half dozen missiles that it wasted no time to launch at me.

"Ha...me…" I bit out, dashing to the side to see that the missiles homed in on me. The ki in my hands compressed just as fast as I poured ki into it, making it more volatile and unstable. Especially when I dove into a hollowed husk of a building, one of the missiles not managing to follow me through and exploding. An explosion shook the world behind me, heat and dust washing over me as half a block was reduced to ashes, killing allies and enemies alike.

The vanguard darted in front of me, intent on cutting me off, but instead, it offered a perfect target. It raised its arms to fire off a blast of plasma, but I thrust my hands out first, "HAAA!" A torrent of blue erupted from my hands, a ball of ki racing towards the vanguard scarab. It hit dead center, enveloping it full of light as I rapidly approached it.

"I can win!" I shouted, still flying forward, rapidly closing the distance between us until I nearly flew face-first into the scarab. I came close enough that I noticed that there wasn't so much as a scratch on its armor. I was too weak to hurt it. But that would change. That would change soon enough. I flipped over the scarab, twisting mid-air to fire off a ki blast directly into its scarab, only for its legs to shoot out at me faster than I could blink. I felt pain in my arm, but I completed my attack.

An explosion rocked the scarab, putting up smoke that hid the missiles. I thought they would have completed their path, but it seemed they were smart enough not to home in on the one that fired them. I wonder how many scarabs fell for that tactic before they implemented that bit of software. Forced to retreat, I dashed off, the missiles still following me.

Again, I searched for the well of power inside, digging deep as my heart began to pound against my ribs so hard that it threatened to punch through them. My shoulder stung, hot blood trailing down my arm from where I got stabbed, my shoulder pad doing nothing to stop the damage. Still, it didn't surge from deep within granting me awesome power. It wasn't enough. Not yet.

As I sailed through the air, diving into another building, I twisted to look behind me, uncaring when I went through a wall. Dozens of ki blasts erupted from my palms, most of them missing but some of them hit and that was enough. Light-filled my vision, flames washing over me as a weird wall of air traveled through me as some of the missiles detonated. The building I flew in was demolished, the explosion taking out a quarter of the city it felt like as I sailed through the flames, gritting my teeth to power through the heat, shooting forward like a speeding bullet.

I escaped the explosion, my armor fairing worse than I did. It glowed in some places, the material melting onto my skin that felt more uncomfortable than painful. Searching for the missiles, I flew some distance, firing around the city to discover that the explosion had detonated all of them. Good. Now, where was the scarab-

It didn't take long to find it. The vanguard scarab hung above the city, small blasters forming along its shoulders and legs that fired off dozens of needle-thin blasts of plasma, each one hitting a Frieza-force soldier in the head, killing them instantly. Its hands were normal blasters, each once firing at saucer-shaped drones in the sky above, helping establish air superiority for the Reach.

It had completely forgotten about me. Or it thought those missiles would be enough to kill me. That was...infuriating.

"Come on," I hissed, trying to grasp the power of the oozaru form. I felt it deep within, but I couldn't coax it out of me. What did I have to do to harness it? I was already fighting a vanguard scarab! Was it not enough? I-

No, Bardock is right. Now wasn't the time for thinking. I needed to crank up the pressure, put myself in a do or die moment, and hope that the awesome power within me decided to appear.

"Ka...me...ha...me...Haa!" I screamed, launching the ki attack at the scarab, throwing my all into the attack. It turned around long before my attack came anywhere near, one of its blasters firing to meet my Kamehameha. The matching blue attacks clashed against each other, light dancing in the fading light as I poured more and more ki into my attack, trying to force the plasma back.

Only the plasma pushed my attack back. First by an inch, then a foot, then ten, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't so much as stall its advance towards me. Tsking to myself, I cut off my attack, flying out of the way of the plasma blast that carved a building behind me in half, crushing a detachment of Frieza-force soldiers below.

I wasn't going to win in a power contest, that much was clear.

"Come on then!" I shouted at the scarab, my face twisting into a snarl as I rushed towards it. Ki coated my hands, sharpening into a wicked point about six inches from the tip of my middle finger, the edges just as sharp. I spun out of the way of a plasma blast, then another as I rapidly closed the distance between us. A wordless roar ripped from my throat as I neared.

The plasma gun compressed into a sword that rushed to meet me halfway. It moved so fast I could barely follow it, little more than a blur as it rushed towards me.

If this wasn't enough...then I was going to get cut in half.

I moved to block the attack even as I noticed a distinct lack of power surging through my veins. The blue ki that covered my hand met the edge of the vanguard's sword, sparks flying as they clashed. I felt the sharp bite of pain in my hand, the familiar sensation of a blade lodged in bone, but it was better than getting my hand cut off, that was certain. The ki coating my hand managed to stop it from going any further, but that was it.

"Weak," the vanguard commented, a plasma gun forming on its shoulder, a light blue pinprick of plasma seemed to be all I could see. If I didn't move right now, then I was going to die.

Again, the power of the oozaru failed to manifest as I lurched forward, careless of the blade sawing through a bone in my hand so I could kick off the scarab. My feet impacted against its chest, pushing it back ever so slightly. That was enough with my sudden shift in position that the bead of plasma only grazed the side of my skull instead of punching through my forehead. The smell of burnt hair filled my nostrils as I darted backward to put some distance between us. The miniature gun proved to be quick on the reload as it fired another bead of plasma that I couldn't entirely dodge. I bit back a shout of pain as it carved a tunnel through my thigh, the intense heat cauterizing the wound so it didn't bleed.

I couldn't win in close quarters combat either, I realized, going back in for a second try. This time, I went to deflect the blade instead of trying to block it, having significantly more success with that as the sword sailed overhead, cutting my hair in half. I would look stupid, but I couldn't bring myself to care. "Rahhh!" I shouted, striking at the scarab, my ki coated hand carving a line down its armor, sparking going up. All I managed to do was create a thin groove that smoothed over instantly. Undeterred, I attacked again, staying so close that the shoulder gun couldn't get a sho-

I forgot about the legs, I realized a moment too late. The legs from the scarab on the vanguard's back lifted up, firing off two yellow blasts of energy. Both of them punch through my stomach, my armor doing absolutely nothing to slow them. A strangled gasp escaped me, but even as agony radiated from my gut, I kept my hands coated in ki long enough to block an overhand swing meant to cut me in half. I felt the blade slice into my hands, but they held even as I shot down towards the ground.

I gathered myself, fighting through the pain like I did so many times before, managing to slow my fall just enough to make sure I didn't die on impact. I busted through the street, landing in the sewers some dozen feet below. The dust obscured me for a moment, but I saw the bright blue light behind the cloud. After everything I had done, I doubted that it was heaven. I grit my teeth, pushing through the pain, and flipped myself out of the way of the attack. Heat washed over me, digging a hole where I was a second before.

"You dead?" Bardock asked in my ear, somewhere up above. From the sound of it, he got involved in the dog fight in the skies to alleviate his boredom.

"Not yet," I answered, wiping blood from my mouth. This wasn't enough either. I was losing the fight, that much was certain, but if I fled right now, then I would survive. That wasn't enough. I needed a do or die situation.

Sucking in a deep breath, ignoring how the holes in my stomach burned, I clasped my hands together, "Kamehameha!" I shouted, launching the ki attack to announce my survival. Almost instantly, I felt the scarab stop my attack dead in its tracks, but I expected that. I cut off my Kamehameha, throwing myself to the side as I dodged the stream of plasma. It followed me as I flew close to the ground, carving along the street before I turned into a building - I thought since it was filled with Reach soldiers that it would stop, but it carved the building in half, making it collapse on itself and kill everything in it.

If I couldn't overpower it, and I couldn't beat it in a CQC, then that left being tricky.

As the building collapsed behind me, I summoned upon my ki, still trying to coax the power of the oozaru from me. "Riot Javelin," I said, flying upwards as I formed two of the attack in my hands. Thanks to my scouter, I knew exactly where the vanguard was.

"Wait, I never taught you that- have you been stealing my techniques?!" Bardock demanded, sounding like I actually caught him off guard. Despite it all, I found a small laugh bubble out of me as I prepared myself for what could be the final clash. My near misses were getting closer each time. After this...I was done for.

"Sorry, the Reach is jamming our com-kishhhh," I said, ending the call. If Bardock was going to save me before, then he wasn't going to now. I didn't have a safety net anymore. Good.

As soon as I burst through the cloud of dust that covered a couple of blocks, I saw the vanguard. It picked up on the energy reading of my attack because it whipped around to face me. It turned its blaster to me again and fired off another shot, this time I threw one of the Riot Javelins, waiting for it to slam into the plasma blast before I threw the other one.

Bardock designed the Riot Javelin for this moment, to take advantage of the opening enemies provided when they were stationary, waiting for their attack to finish him off. It funneled through the plasma blast, uncaring of how powerful it was before the first one began to lose its steam. The bulge in the displace plasma kept going, the second still fresh and it kept going all the way to the source of the plasma.

I dodged out of the way of the plasmablast just as the second Riot Javelin impacted, causing a huge explosion. My scouter picked up on the vanguard thrown backward through the air but unfortunately still alive. Knowing that this was my only shot, I raced forward, forming another Riot Javelin in my hands.

The vanguard had the same idea. It blasted through the smoke that hung in the air, revealing that the bottom part of its arm was gone for a few short moments. Liquid metal capped over the missing limb before stretching out, replacing everything below the elbow. Some parts of the body thinned to do it, but the result was the same. My last-ditch effort managed no lasting damage.

Even still, I pressed myself forward, "Riot Javelin," I roared, throwing the attack, unsurprised as it washed over the vanguard's chest. The arm that was metal from the elbow down lengthened into a sword, it raced towards me at speeds that I could hope to dodge. If it didn't happen now, then I was-

My thoughts were cut off when the sword stabbed through my stomach, folding me in half. I bit back a scream, looking into its yellow-tinted eyes to see that they were filled with nothing. Whoever was in the suit, they were gone. That was...irritating. The Reach-

Again, any rational thought was wiped from my head as I felt the blade shift inside of me. In every direction, I felt needles as thick as my finger erupted from the blade, skewering my insides in a dozen places. Blood lurched out of my mouth, filling the mask that covered my face as I struggled to remain conscious. I looked down to see some of the needles poked out through my armor, all of them bright red with blood.

"Die," the vanguard said, the needles drawing back into the sword before it began to wrap around me, gripping me fully so I couldn't escape. I gripped its arm as hard as I could, trying to do...something. I could do it. I had to be able to do it. I-

The scarab threw me down, everything was a blur as the wind roared in my ears. I felt myself slam into the roof of a still-standing building, I punched through the top floor and through the next fifty floors, each just as painful as the last, until I slammed into the bottom hard enough that the entire foundation gave way. The building collapsed, hundreds of thousands of tons falling down on top of me, the dust so thick that without my mask I would have suffocated.

"Tarble, you alive?! Tarble, speak to me!" Bardock roared in my ear, my mask filled with blood so I couldn't respond.

I...couldn't do it. What...that was...what an absolute joke. I fought for years, clawed my way up from barely avoiding an infiltration mission to mid-class. To becoming the second strongest on Bardock's squad. I mastered my oozaru transformation, I was so close to becoming elite-class. And...my second lease on life...thrown away because I couldn't pull a power up I knew existed out of my ass.

Despite it all, despite my lungs filling with blood because I'm pretty sure they got stabbed too, I laughed. It was a wretched gargling sound.

"N-not yet," I rasped, commanding my body to move. I pushed against the rubble that fell on top of me, every movement making me increasingly aware of the puddle of blood forming around me. Even as weak as I was, I felt the rubble shift, but not enough. It still wasn't enough. No matter how hard I pushed, it still wasn't enough.

"You are? Good, I'm coming your way to save your dumb ass. Stay there and don't die," Bardock ordered, his tone unusually serious.

I coughed, more blood filling my mask. So, I was also looking at drowning in my own blood as a possible death. I...should wait for Bardock to save me. If he went oozaru, he could win. If he got to me fast enough and tossed me into a healing pod, then there was a chance I could survive. But...that would mean...I wasn't going to be able to go on the mission. I was the second strongest member of his squad, it was already a suicide mission to begin with, but without me...

No. No, I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to let myself die here. I wasn't going to fail at something I know can be done. I- No, enough thinking. It was time to do or die.

I cupped my hands, the flickering light of my ki illuminating the pitch-black darkness I found myself in. I took in a breath that sent waves of agony coursing through me, "ka...me…" I coughed, the ball of ki in my hands growing stronger. "Ha...me…" It was nothing compared to the ones earlier, but it would do the trick.

"Ha!" I yelled, shooting upwards and carving a hole in the rubble. I forced myself up, using my fading ki to float, to my feet. As the attack faded, having done its job, I looked down to see...huh...that was a lot of blood. My blood.

"You idiot! Stay down, and let me deal with-"

Say something cool, "d-don't get involved in my fights." Nailed it. I turned my attention to the sky above me, the vanguard scarab hovering directly above. Did I hit it with my attack? I hope so. I licked my lips, the taste of copper heavy on my tongue as I glared up at the scarab. My hands curled into fists, blood flowing out of me in rivers - it could have just floated there and I probably would have died soon enough. But that wasn't enough for it.

Both of its arms and chest melded into one giant plasma cannon. As strong as it was, there might not be much of a city left when it hit. Or me, for that matter.

"Just sit back, and watch me do this," I told Bardock, glaring at the scarab. I was going to do this. I had to. Death was absolutely certain if I didn't, and I was going to live. No matter what. So, success was the only option. I had to do it. I-

I let out a breath, closing my eyes as I pushed my thoughts away. No thinking about what-ifs, success or failure, or anything like that. I turned my attention away from the fight, ignoring the growing orb of plasma that was about to lay waste to this city along with the armies. I focused solely on that feeling of power that the oozaru transformation offered. The exact moment I felt the strength flow through my veins when I transformed.

I imagined it flowing into me again, trying to imagine it flooding my veins so my strength would increase tenfold. I imagined it working again and again and again. I pictured the well of power in me surging up to fill my flagging strength and make me stronger than ever. A thousand times, I imagined it working.

On the thousandth and first time, I summoned upon that power. For two days, I became intimately familiar with it, I felt my strength grew as I began to transform without the aid of Blutz waves. In my mind, time seemed to slow down as the ball of plasma leapt from the gun, a giant torrent of plasma racing towards me, but it seemed to move at a snail's pace.

I sucked at juggling in my past life. Generally, anything that involved hand-eye coordination, I failed at. It was a random thought but one that lead me to a much more relevant one.

Why was I trying to juggle three things at once? I failed every time I tried before, in this life and the last. I mean, I could physically juggle with this body, but what I was trying to juggle, physical stuff didn't matter. It was all mental. Stopping the transformation, maintaining conscious thought, summoning upon the strength of going oozaru - doing all three was too much for me. I juggled all three and one was dropped eventually.

But, these things weren't physical balls. They were aspects of a problem. If juggling all three was too much…

Then how about juggling two and a half?

I felt a red mist descend on my mind, a primal fury boiling in my chest as the rage of the oozaru infected every thought. The pain from my wounds was lost in a sea of agony. It felt like my blood was boiling in my veins, so hot that I could combust at any second. Every bone ached, humming with a primal power that was too great for this small body to contain. There weren't words to describe the sheer agony that was driving me insane.

The only thing worse than the pain was the maddening rage. My face twisted into a snarl even as I cupped my hands to my side, a growl rumbling from deep inside me.

"DIE!" I screamed, forming a Kamehameha and launching it at the piece of fucking shit alien that stabbed me. Our attacks clashed, mine looking more purple as I poured my rage into the attack, feeling the sudden awe-inspiring strength fill me until the point of overflowing. Lightning crackled where the attacks met, clashing against the fucked up building around, getting dust and other shit on my eyes.

I managed to stop the attack dead in its tracks, but that wasn't enough for me. I was getting my ass handed to me all this time, and now it was my turn to get my licks in. "FUCK! YOU!" I roared, blood sloshing in my mask but I was beyond giving a crap. I pushed the attack back, a crazed grin appeared on my face as I finally made some headway. "FUCK YOU!" I screamed again, pushing the scarab back even more.

A wordless scream of rage, pain, and hate ripped from my throat as I put my all into the attack. The plasma was pushed back by another inch, then a foot, then ten and by that time I already got the ball rolling so it was too late to stop it. My attack washed over the scarab, carving a line through the clouds behind it. And yet, the piece of shit didn't have the decency to die like that. My scouter still picked up its presence within my attack.

"That's good," I said, cutting off my attack as I leapt up with enough force that the ground cracked underneath me. "You went and scrambled my guts, and I'm lookin' to return the fucking favor!" I yelled, punching through the sound barrier, closing the distance between both of us in a split second. My attack hadn't even faded by the time I was on top of it.

It definitely felt my attack this time - parts of it glowed a cherry red, the bottom half of its arm was gone again. I managed to take off a leg too. Good. I hoped it hurt.

I punched the vanguard in the face, metal cracking underneath the blow, something in my hand giving way but I didn't care. All I cared about was that sweet, delicious feeling of fucking up its face. The scarab shot to the side - before, I doubt I would have been able to follow it with my eyes, but now it seemed to be moving almost painfully slow. It tried to correct its path with its boosters, but that barely managed to slow it down before I was on top of it.

I looked into its eyes, seeing shock behind the yellow-tinted lenses a moment before I flipped and axe-kicked the scarab in the chest. The thick armor warped underneath the blow, unable to absorb it, before the scarab shot down to the ground through a building like I had moments before.

Unlike the scarab, I was a firm believer in double-tapping. I raised both hands above my head, my ki a dark purple as forced it into a ball. It wanted to show off by taking me out with a city? Well, two can play at that game. I couldn't care less about the Frieza-forces still in the city, they should blame themselves for being stupid enough to stick around on my battleground.

The ball of ki got bigger and bigger as I poured more and more power into it, ignoring Bardock shouting in my ear. Whatever it was, it could wait-

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of green a split second before it hit the ball of ki above me. Before, when I was so very weak, I wouldn't have been able to dodge, but now I managed it easily. The blast of green energy sailed harmlessly by - my cruel smile twisting into a snarl of rage as I whipped around on the source.

A woman that almost appeared to look like a saiyan if it weren't for its reddish skin tone. Its hair was long, black and wavy, its lips full and bright red, its eyes just as black as its hair. All of that played second fiddle to the black and green skin-tight outfit that clung to it with white boots and gloves. At the center of its chest was a white circle with a symbol inside of it. A green circle with two bars on top and below it.

The Green Lantern symbol.

"Oh shit."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	14. Sight of the Prize

"Rahhhhh!" I screamed, launching the ball of purple ki at the Green Lantern. The Lantern glowed with a deep green light, its jaw clenched as it raised a fist, the deep green ring on its finger glowing as a construct emerged from it. A giant hand that simply cupped the ball of ki before diverting its path to the side. Snarling, I tried to bring it back on path, but the ki ball was too heavy, for lack of a better word. The damn thing sailed off into the distance, exploding when it hit the ground-

Huh. That explosion would have taken out a lot more than a city. Neat.

"Alet all Frieza-forces, we have a Green Lantern planetside. I repeat, we have a Green Lantern planetside at my location," Bardock shouted in my ear. His voice was annoying as all hell, so I grabbed my scouter and crushed it as I glared in absolute fury at the Green Lantern that interrupted my fight.

"Enough," it said, its giant hand retracting as it clenched its jaw. Its gaze swept over the carcass of the city below us, something in its gaze hardening. "First, the Reach takes over my home and now Frieza wants to destroy it?" It wasn't rage that filled it, but the glowing around it grew more intense.

I didn't care enough to listen to it. I shot forward as it clenched its hand into a fist so that the ring was facing the sky. Even through the thick haze of rage that filled my mind, I recognized the expression of pure determination as it turned to face the ring at me as I closed the distance between us in a blink of an eye.

"No. I won't allow it," it said, a wall forming between us. I fist slammed into it hard enough that I felt a knuckle busted, but my attack was stopped cold. I punched it again to get the same result. Snarling, I coated my hands in ki, forming a blade and thrust it against the wall of green light. This time, I managed to break my fingers.

"Your kind has taken enough from me. From this galaxy. I don't care what the Guardians say, I'm putting an end to it," It declared, pushing me back so suddenly my head nearly face planted on the wall. I kicked off of it, forming a ki blast in my hands as I snarled down at the Lantern. The wall condensed into a whip that lashed out at me. I flipped out of the way, gritting my teeth as I fought back against the growing rage that seemed to boil in my chest.

"Taken enough from you?!" I shouted as I threw the ki ball at it, forcing it to dodge as I kept launching them at it. "Are you kidding me?!" I followed after the Lantern, seeing her dodge and weave out of the way from plasma fire from the ground forces. The drones up above started to drift down, turning their attention to the highest threat. The rage in my chest boiled over as they fired upon my enemy.

"Done get involved in my fights!" I roared at them, firing machine gun blasts of ki that ripped through Reach and Frieza-force drones alike. Explosions lit up the sky, the Lantern turning around to face me, the whip that emerged from its ring lashed out towards me, coiling to subdue me.

"Tarble, disengage, we need back up-" Bardock yelled from down below, having turned into his oozaru form so his voice easily reached me over the explosions. I clenched my fist as I dodged out of the way of the whip, forming another ki blast in my hands as I looked down at him.

"I said don't get involved!" I yelled at him, launching a ki blast at him. A warning shot. The only one he would get.

"You truly are a savage species. Does your kind crave anything other than death and destruction?" The Lantern asked, making me round on it as my attack washed over Bardock. I blasted off towards it, ki coating my hands as I tried to get in close. Lanterns, all they had was their rings, without them then they were whatever weak species they happened to be, so pathetic that they couldn't rely on their own power. I'd like to see it use that ring after I cut off its hands.

The whip split off into two twin beams of light, both of them moving independently to entangle me. They were little more than blurs, crashing through buildings, rubble raining down- all of a sudden they stopped when the Lantern shot down so fast I could barely see it, a scoop of green light catching the rubble below. Where they would have crashed was a squad of Frieza-force soldiers. They repaid its kindness by firing at it, the glow around it protected it from the lasers.

It tossed the rubble to the side, firing off a half dozen shots of green light. The entire squad went down in a half-second. It just saved those soldiers. It's enemy. That was...that was…

"You've got to be kidding me," I snarled, cupping my hands as something beyond rage pushed me to go even further. Something beyond hate. My wounds ached, blood still spilling from me, from a dozen different places, but whatever the feeling that filled me was, it pushed me beyond the point of caring.

"KamehameHA!" I shouted, firing off the attack, a torrent of purple rushing down towards the Lantern. It looked up, I couldn't see its face, but I can't imagine that it would be surprised. If the Reach had managed to crack out scouter tech, then undoubtedly the Lanterns had too. As I expected, the Lantern rushed out of the way, a half dozen cocoons trailing behind her, protecting the squad from the blast.

The Lantern turned towards me, settling down on a ruined street, a cloud of dust unable to hide the green glow that surrounded it. "Y- They are your comrades!" It screamed at me, something other than grim determination in its voice. It sounded horrified. It dropped the Frieza-force squad- it was the aliens from before, the ones that I borrowed the scouter from a couple of days ago.

"So?!" Shout back at her, firing ki blast after ki blast at her, peppering the street below with explosions. More dust kicked up, but I still saw the bubble shield that it erected around it and the squad. "They knew the risks. They knew what they were getting into when they signed up! It's their choice to fight and kill, so they have no right to complain if they get killed!" I screamed, cupping my hands above my head as I formed another massive ki blast.

For years, that was my justification for...everything. When I fought, I only killed soldiers. They fought back. They made the choice to pick up a gun instead of fleeing for their lives. At the very least, I could respect that and kill them with a clean conscious. Civilians? The ones that fled their home planets in fear, that relied on those soldiers to fight and die so they could escape? They…-

This wasn't the time for introspection.

"You-" whatever it was about to respond with was cut off as a blast of plasma raced towards me. I barely managed to get out of the way in time, twisting in the air, feeling the heat wash over the back of my neck. I didn't need my scouter to know who it was.

"You're not dead? Good!" I shouted, darting towards the source. The vanguard scarab entrenched itself into a half-collapsed building that looked like it was neatly cut in half, one section still standing while the other fell. It fired another shot as I flew towards it, "Riot Javelin!" It seemed that it had learned its lesson because that's all I had to do to make it abandon the stream of plasma, despite never forming the attack.

It realized its mistake too late. I closed the distance between us in a moment, it tried to form a sword, but it wasn't quick enough. Ki coated my hand as I got in close, driving my fist into its gut, the liquid metal unable to keep me out. Red blood splashed onto my hand, and a wild smile found its way onto my face. "Hurts don't it?" I asked, copying what it did and sending spikes of ki in every direction.

"Ugh-!" The vanguard grunted in pain as its insides were skewered, I could feel nanites flooding over my hand, biting at it to break it down to repair the damage. I doubt this tactic would work on everyone - the scarab itself was what provided the strength, beneath the armor, a weak species merely served as a convenient host.

I yanked my hand out, blood erupting from the wound that the liquid metal already started to flood the wound, capping off intestines and blood vessels. I didn't know the science behind it, but scarabs needed a living host. That armor got noticeably thinner to plug up the damage, less liquid metal to go around for armor, which was why it was getting so easy to punch through. It was getting weaker.

I raised a hand to finish it off, only to be cut off when a green blast hit me in the back, sending me flying. The breath was knocked from my lungs, my armor cracked and chipped, but I was fine. It...it was using nonlethal attacks.

The Green Lantern shot forward as the vanguard got rid of its artificial arm and leg, the metal pumping into a single plasma gun on its one arm. "Kaylark! Double strike!" The vanguard shouted a split second before it fired a massive blast of plasma. The Green Lantern looked back, faltering in her single-minded pursuit of me to look back, but still managing to dodge the blast. It still pressed forward, clinging to the attack close enough that an inch more it would get hit by it.

Three tendrils of light erupted from its ring, telling me what the tactic was. Dodge and get wrapped up, stay and get hit by plasma and a Green Lantern.

"Fine then, I'll take you both on then!" I roared defiantly, forming a Riot Javelin in my hand that I launched at the plasma blast as I rushed forward to meet them halfway. The Riot Javelin was absorbed into the plasma, the stream warping as it traveled upstream, bulging just enough that it hit the Green Lantern. It jerked away, its attention faltering for a split second, and that was enough.

I aimed myself towards her, speeding off like a bullet, ki coating my hands. Tendrils of light lashed out at me, forcing me to dodge- Another tendril split off from one that nearly grabbed me, wrapping around my ankle. My eyes widened, feeling the wind against my face as it sent me flying, crashing through a building.

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed at the tendril, trying to tear it, only for it to split apart again, stretching out to my other ankle. I couldn't break it, I was going to have to cut my foot off. Raising my hand, I brought it down to sever my foot at the shin, only for another tendril to catch my wrist before I could complete the motion.

"Shivalik?" The Green Lantern asked, its voice faint. It wasn't even paying any attention to me, even as it wrapped another tendril around my free wrist. I pulled and struggled, thrashing against the restraints, but I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even rip my hands off to escape. A wordless roar of rage escaped me, my efforts to escape growing more intense. "Is that you? But you're-"

The fucking vanguard lowered its helmet, revealing a similar-looking alien with curly black hair. They almost looked like saiyans. "I had to do it!" The alien defended tears in its eyes. "The Frieza-force was coming, and we weren't done evacuating civilians. They needed volunteers to buy time for them to escape."

The Green Lantern looked stricken, opening its mouth to say something, only to close it a moment later. I continued to thrash in my restraints, making her look at me, but she kept me restrained with no visible effort. Fucking power rings.

When it didn't continue, the scarab did. "But, the evacuation ships-! Those savages opened fire on them! They're gone. Sharee, Mavalick - they're all gone, Kaylark. Because of them," it jabbed a finger in my direction, but the Green Lantern stared at the scarab, its expression betraying nothing. "At the very least, I want vengeance! For my family. For _your _family! Please, help-"

"Where," the Green Lantern interrupted slowly, turning its attention back to the scarab. "Did we hide when the Reach stopped pretending to be our saviors and enslaved our kind?" It asked, its tone carefully blank- Ah. Scarabs couldn't access long term memories. They could emulate a person perfectly if stuck on the same host for a long period of time, but it couldn't access memories.

And, just like that, the tearful expression vanished. The scarab turned its canon to the Green Lantern, "you are in direct violation of the treaty, Green Lantern by entering Reach controlled space. This breach has already been recorded and sent to the highest authorities," it informed, its voice emotionless. "However, this unit has been authorized to offer the temporary agreement of assistance in removing the Frieza-force presence on planet D'xe, in exchange, the Reach will not declare the treaty violated, thus null and void."

For a long moment, the battlefield seemed to go quiet as the Green Lantern seemed to think on the offer, all except for my screaming as I thrashed in the restraints.

"I'm a Green Lantern," the alien chose to answer, setting its jaw. "For what little time I still wear this ring, I will hold true to everything that the Green Lanterns stand for. Truth, justice - we are the shield of the galaxy against evil, and I will _not _falter because of Guardians have gone back on that oath."

That was answer enough.

A blast of plasma formed in the cannon, aimed at the Green Lantern. The Lantern glared down at the scarab that possessed its friend, a silent challenge. If it would have shot, I would never know. A yellow laser hit the scarab in the side of the head, without its armor, it went straight through. Instantly, the scarab began to drop, falling to the ground.

"No!" The Lantern cried, her concentration failing at the sight. It was enough that the tendrils that held me vanished, fading into nothing as it rushed to catch its dead friend. I looked over to see it was Bardock that had fired the shot, an energy rifle in his hands. He tossed the weapon to the side, a look of disgust on his face before he glanced over at me despite the distance between us.

'Stay. Down.' He pulled off his mask to mouth the words at me.

Stay down? I pushed myself up again, blood seeping from me so there was already a fair bit of it where I fell. My organs...had a lot more in common with a pincushion than I ever wanted them to. But that was fine. I could walk it off. More importantly, I had a fight to win.

I drew upon my ki, pushing my strength to its absolute limit - I had taken some damage, sure, but I wasn't out of this fight! Stay down?! Like hell, I would! Instead of listening to Bardock, I blasted off towards the Green Lantern, who caught the corpse of its friend. It was distracted, giving me the perfect chance to finish it off.

Ki gathered in my hands, a ball of light forming between them, "ka...me…" This one didn't feel as strong as the one before when I was pushing back the scarab. I was losing steam. I had to finish this fast. "Ha...me...HA!" I yelled, firing off the attack. I knew she blocked my attack when it blasted outwards like it was washing over something a lot bigger than a 5'5 alien. Seeing as my surprise attack failed, I cut off the attack to see that it formed a protective bubble around the Green Lantern.

I swallowed a mouth full of blood, my head feeling light. Did my time-out for a minute or two killed the adrenaline rush? It didn't matter. I just had to get another one.

"Do you really believe any of that crap?" I spat at her, darting towards it. The Lantern clenched it's jaw, hiding behind the bubble as I punched it hard enough that it went flying through a building, my already broken fingers were pulverized from the blow. I followed it through the tunnel it made, punching it again. Not so much as a crack. "The shield that protects the galaxy from evil? Then where in the hell has your order been?!" I roared, punching the bubble again, this time hard enough that my wrist broke.

It hurt. But I was used to pain. I was used to pushing through it, digging deep, and pulling a win out of my ass. Scrambled organs or not, I wasn't going to lose this fight.

The Lantern's eyes narrowed, telling me I had hit a nerve. "For years, the Reach has been begging for help as we butchered our way across their empire and the Green Lanterns refused to answer the call!" I punched the shield again, letting my rage fuel me. The haze that covered my mind like a thick fog seemed to get thicker - I welcomed it. The rage helped with the pain.

"The Guardians didn't want to break the treaty!" the Lantern started to answer, but I didn't care to hear its excuses. I was absolutely sick and tired of hearing excuses. Especially my own.

"They wanted their enemies to soften each other up!" I roared at it, punching it so hard my arm snapped under the force of my blow. That was fine. My muscles were powerful enough to keep the broken bones in place. I could still fight. "And how many died for it?! How many billions are dead? How many species have been eradicated because your order decided to stand back and fucking watch?!"

The Green Lantern glared at me, it's lips pressing together into a thin line as I punched the shield again, sending it crashing into another building. "That's why I'm here! I couldn't bear to watch this slaughter anymore," it argued, this time it flew out of the way of my next punch. Was I making progress then? I had to be! With renewed vigor, I gave chase to the Lantern.

"Liar!" I spat, spotting another excuse for what it was. "You only came because this is your planet! You were happy to stay fucked off when it was other species getting butchered to the last," I accused, forming a ki blast in my hands, throwing it at the bloodstain. No damage. "It's always easy to ignore it when it's someone else staring genocide in the face."

"That's not-" It started to argue, doubt appearing on its face as it retreated through the building, flying up into the air.

"You're a liar. And a hypocrite! I bet you fucking patted yourself on the back when you decided to come here against orders, huh?!" I snarled, follow after it. "Like you hadn't stood by for years like the Guardians did. And why didn't you help? Why didn't you save anyone?! Because they were enslaved by the Reach? That's a reason good enough for the defenders of the fucking galaxy to twiddle their fucking thumbs and let billions of people die?"

The Green Lantern's eyes widened as I neared, my eyes blurry from the wind shear. I slammed a fist into the bloodstain, and still not seeing so much as a crack. "You-"

This wasn't an argument. I could care less about her excuses, "and now you come here, saving both sides, refusing to use lethal force because of some holier than thou bullshit! Don't fuck with me with your half-assed resolve-" the rest of my rant was interrupted by blood erupting from my mouth. My mask filled up, forcing me to come to a stop to lift it up so it could all drain out. My vision swam, my head felt so light it could float off my shoulders, but more blood coming up my throat kept me grounded.

My strength was fading. The power of the oozaru form was seeping out of with every drop of blood. And I was bleeding rivers. It soaked my legs, covered my armor - I think it was only slowing because I was running out of blood to bleed.

"You're crying," the Green Lantern noted, stopping some distance away. I looked up, a hand going to my eyes to feel a wetness that wasn't blood. Tears streamed down my face, over my mask, the sorrow I felt stabbing the one organ the scarab had missed - my heart.

How much of that applied to me? I refused to kill civilians and patted myself on the back for it even as those same civilians died by the hands of another while I did nothing to stop it. I slaughtered soldiers, telling myself that it was different because they chose to fight back. I've watched hundreds of millions die, maybe billions after four years - how many of them could I saved had I tried? If I did anything other than look away and pretend my hands were clean of innocent blood because I wasn't the one snuffing out their life?

"No, I'm not!" I shouted, swallowing more blood as I fired rapid ki blasts at the Green Lantern. Its expression was something worse than from determination. Its eyes were filled with pity. "Shut up!" The bluish balls of ki that impacted against the bubble offered up a smokescreen to hide that the others didn't go flying off into the distance but hovered around it.

"Hellzone Gre-nade!" I coughed, more blood coming up my throat, but it wasn't as much this time. That...was probably really bad, wasn't it? The explosions that lit up the sky forced me away, unable to withstand the force of them. I covered my eyes, squinting and my heart falling when I saw a green glow that moved through the clouds of dust.

I...wasn't able to put so much as a scratch on its shield. With the power of the oozaru, my strength multiplied by ten. I couldn't do a thing. About any of it.

"Ring...scan him," the Lantern ordered, clearing the smoke, its voice soft. Its eyes were filled to the brim with pity, but not even that could hide the resolve in them. Despite being an alien, I couldn't help but think that it looked like a saiyan.

-Scan complete. Saiyan child, four years old due to cultural practice of growing children in gestation tanks for first three years of life. Identified as Tarble, second son to Vegeta the Third, king of the saiyan race. Currently has a bounty of fifty million credits placed by the Reach for participating in the first strike that instigated the Reach-Trade Organization war.- The ring answered.

Wait, wait, wait. Those three years I spent in the gestation tank didn't count? I was four years old again? And I had a bounty?!

"Four years old, huh?" The Lantern asked, the pity melting away from her eyes, replaced by firm resolve. "That's pretty young for a saiyan, isn't it? For my race, you would still be a baby...you were a baby by your own people's standards when you destroyed Rockoroad."

"And you've only ever known war since then," It noted as the green glow intensified. It set its jaw, narrowing its eyes as it took in a deep breath. "But you're right. I was coming here with half-assed resolve. Even as they took my ring after I kicked you all off this planet, I was going to be satisfied with my choice. I was going to spend the rest of my life thinking it was the right choice."

The Lantern expanded its bubble, letting the corpse floating with its fall. "And it is the right choice. I just made it four years too late." Its ring glowed with a piercing light.

-Extreme willpower detected- the ring beeped as she started to fly forward. A calm pace towards me. I blinked to clear my vision, trying to ready myself for a fight, but I felt my newfound strength slip between my fingers.

"Disengage safety lock," it ordered calmly.

\- Error, the first law of the Green Lantern crops: lethal force is not- the ring started to protest before cutting itself off with -error, extreme willpower has been detected-

"Disengage. The. Safety lock," the Lantern repeated, clenching its hand into a fist. Now the bubble was so close that I could touch it if I reached out. The ring sputtered for a moment, trying to deny the order but, after a moment, it caved.

-Safety lock has been disengaged. Lethal force has been enabled.- The ring said, making the Lantern blink slowly, taking in a deep breath before it was released in a long sigh.

"Thank you," it said, sounding like it meant it. "Now I know what I must do. I won't meekly hand over my ring when this planet has been liberated. Not when there are so many suffering the same fate. If the Guardians want my ring, then they can pry it from my cold dead finger." The alien stood tall, striking an impressive figure with the green suit clinging to its curves.

"I won't stand idle any longer, and I will not take half measures to ensure the galaxy's safety. I won't flinch at the cost that must be paid. No matter how bloody. From this moment on, no matter what race they might be, or to what empire they serve, whenever an innocent cries out for help, I. Will. Answer!" It declared resolutely, pointing its fist at me. Without the bubble, I would probably be able to touch it.

"Do you have any final words, Tarble?" It asked, its voice sounding far away despite being so close.

"Stop wasting my time and get on with it," I answered with as much dignity as I could muster. My breathing was even, my heart wasn't pounding at my chest anymore. Everything pointed towards me accepting my death. I might have, I don't know anymore. I didn't so much as blink, staring up at the Lantern with just as much resolve that shone in its.

"I am Kaylark, princess of planet D'xe," Kaylark said, a light building in its ring. "In spite of your savage race, you have shown wisdom Tarble. It does not forgive the countless murders you have committed, but know that your death lays the foundation for peace."

I took in a slow breath, watching the light build. The battle for the city still raged beneath us, but it all sounded so far away.

Move.

I jerked my head to the side the same moment the beam of light leaped from the ring, a thin needle-like point that would have gone through the center of my forehead. I summoned up a weak ki blast to lob at her, it did exactly nothing to the bubble, but that wasn't the point. I fought tooth and nail to live nearly every single day of my life, I didn't have it in me to not die fighting at this point.

"Tarble! Don't you die, because I'm going to kill you when this is done!" I heard Bardock roared in his oozaru formed, light escaping his gaping maw. He fired the blast at the Green Lantern, ki enveloping it. I don't think it would do anything to it, but it gave me time to put some distance between us.

"I...ah...whatever, he can't hear me," I started, flying back as I blinked to clear my hazy vision. The power I felt earlier was all but gone, leaving bone-deep exhaustion in its place. The light faded as Bardock let the attack end, revealing that the Green Lantern was untouched. Its bubble protected it from the blast.

There were no real lessons about the Green Lanterns from the tank. For the most part, I knew what everyone else knew. Power rings, batteries, bobbleheads for bosses and so on. However, I recalled something as Kaylark took aim at Bardock. Not so much a memory or a lesson, so I couldn't tell if I learned it before the tank or not.

The biggest handicap that the Lanterns had was that they couldn't kill. Kaylark just removed that handicap.

"Bardock, she can kill!" I screamed, my voice hoarse. Bardock didn't move, summoning upon another ki breath attack as he crouched low, ready for a counter-attack. If he heard me, then I couldn't tell. I had to assume that he didn't. If I was wrong, and he couldn't hear me, then he was going to die. He was going to get himself killed. I...I couldn't let that happen.

But I couldn't break through that bubble. The Riot Javelin hadn't worked, a Kamehameha didn't have the piercing power. A Special Beam Cannon? No, that wouldn't work either - it wasn't that much stronger than a Kamehameha, and its piercing power was less than a Riot Javelin. I needed…!

I needed something new.

I might- it was probably the lightheadedness, feeling dizzy as I floated in the air behind the Green Lantern as it moved to attack Bardock, his ki attack washing over its shield like water. An idea formed for a new technique, or, rather, combining a bunch of ideas to hopefully make it more powerful.

The compressed power of a Kamehameha. The piercing power of a Riot Javelin. The coils of the Special Beam Cannon to enhance both. How it would look appeared in my mind, this time it was based on no memories or lessons. I cupped my hands to my side, drawing upon the last dregs of my ki, tapping out whatever was left of the oozaru power and funneling it to my hands. My hands almost mirrored each other, my broken fingers bent, a deep blue light forming.

I compressed the ki, spinning it, letting beads of it form on the tips of my fingers which would increase the rotation. The tip would be pointed instead of a flat ball, but still wide enough to have some stopping power.

Like I did so many times before, I pictured myself using the technique a thousand times. On the thousandth and first, I thrust my hands out and unleashed it. It looked exactly how I pictured it, a pillar of dark blue ki, wrapped around it was coils of white from my fingers that extended all the way to the tip.

The Green Lantern turned around even as it weathered Bardock's attack, stopping to raise its fist at me. In its eyes glowed the symbol on its chest, the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps. My nameless attack slammed into the bubble, grinding against the surface. Gritting my teeth, I pumped more power into it, even as Bardock's attack came to an end.

It forced the Lantern back, still grinding away at the bubble, trying to find purchase but finding none. The Lantern's ring glowed again, getting ready to fire off another attack, this one I doubt I could dodge. It was do or die again, and I wouldn't die here. I poured whatever I had left into the attack, straining to so much as fly at the same time.

Then my attack lurched forward. The bubble didn't break, it didn't shatter into a million pieces, my attack didn't grind away at it until it forced its way through. The bubble simply vanished, winked out like a light being flipped off.

My attack punched through the Lanterns chest, right where its symbol was, nearly fitting the white space perfectly. It pierced it through completely, carving a tunnel through a few buildings behind it before I let the attack end. The Lanterns corpse fell to the ground, bouncing when it landed, dead instantly.

I won. I killed a Green Lantern. I...really wasn't expecting that to work.

"I...need to name...that attack," I muttered, the last of my strength gone, the feeling of wind on my face was the last thing I was aware of before everything went black.

…

"I don't believe it," Bardock muttered, ending the oozaru transformation, though he kept the Power Ball in the air just in case there were any saiyans besieging the city. Tarble fell from the sky, probably dead from the wounds he took. And fought through. Bardock flew to catch him, expecting the worst.

Even if he was dead, going out by killing a Green Lantern...Bardock hated to admit it, but the kid would go down as a legend. Killing a Green Lantern, unleashing a move Bardock had never seen before after tapping into the oozaru power without transforming - sure, the technique had some kinks to work out, but that...Wrath State was something else entirely.

The oozaru transformation was a saiyans strength. Tarble created a way to master that power and take none of the drawbacks of having an oversized body.

"Ha...the Power Ball might be obsolete soon enough," Bardock said with some amusement, flying up to Tarble. He worked on that technique for years, tirelessly learning and studying Bultz waves so he could mimic them. The Power Ball, if his plans failed, was going to be how he made his mark on the saiyan race, so long after he was dead, his name would be spoken in the same breath as legends like Matillo or King Vegeta the First. Saiyans that carved their name in history.

He caught Tarble before he got the ground, noting just how pale he was underneath drying blood, dust, and soot. The boy was drenched in his own blood, he probably didn't have enough left in him to fill a canteen at this point. Tarble was limp in his arms, his head rolling to the side. Bardock looked down at the kid, a sigh of...something escaping him as he floated down to the ground, uncaring of the battle for the city. Without the scarab, the defensive forces had no chance. They would get mopped up soon enough.

Bardock touched down next to the Green Lantern's corpse. It's deep green and black suit with white gloves and boots was gone, revealing a pure white bodysuit not dissimilar to the ones that the Frieza-force wore, though it was mostly red at this point from the gaping hole where it's chest was supposed to be. It's ring still on its finger.

The shield hadn't broken, it had simply disappeared.

"Looks like the Guardians screwed you one last time," Bardock said, kicking the corpse to make sure it was dead. For all their power, they were little more than slaves to the Guardians. Not unlike the saiyans with Frieza, Bardock admitted to himself. Except all of their power was borrowed from a glorified battery. The Guardians imposed their restrictions onto the ring, and when they were broken, they denied access to it - the Green Lanterns were completely at the mercy of the Guardians, unable to so much as rise up.

Then Bardock's gaze fell to the ring. The idea of wearing a power ring disgusted him, especially now he saw just how easy whatever power it offered could be taken away. But...that was one hell of a trophy. The ring of the first Green Lantern ever killed at saiyan hands. He crouched down, yanking the ring off and looked down at the dull green ring. It was hard to believe it contained so much power.

"Supreme...ultra d-death at-attack?" Bardock heard muttering below him, soft, just barely above a whisper. At first, Bardock thought it might be the Green Lantern, but he doubted it could manage to speak without any lungs. That left- Bardock looked down at Tarble to see the kid's lips moving ever so slightly as he mumbled to himself, "P-plus ultra death cy-cyclone. Dr-drill?"

He was alive. Barely. And spending what could be his last moments trying to name his new attack. Despite himself, Bardock let out a laugh as he smiled - because of course, he would. "Fasha said I should teach you a way to solve your problems other than bashing your head against them, but I can't imagine you'll run into anything tougher than your head now." He admitted, using his scouter to learn Tarble's condition. It came as no shock that he was in critical condition, needing immediate medical treatment.

Bardock looked down at the kid, his chest barely moving as he took in small gasps of air. A thought occurred to him as he looked down, a thought that became more frequent over the years. At first, the thought was born of frustration, almost constantly on his mind back when the kid was getting demolished by saibamen. Then, for years he hadn't had the thought at all as Tarble proved his worth again and again whenever the chips were down. In the past year, that thought returned, this time it was twinged with worry.

He should kill Tarble.

One way or the other, Tarble was going to be an obstacle. Whether he wanted to be one or not. Bardock hadn't expected him to get so strong so fast, going from nothing to the second strongest member of the team before he hit his first growth spurt. In the past year, as Tarble rapidly grew in strength, it was clear that he would one day join the elite-class. Maybe before Bardock did. Then he would be apart of the royal family.

And that was the crux of the issue, wasn't it?

Letting him die here would almost be a kindness. He died taking out a Green Lantern, tapped into a power of the oozaru form in a way that had never been done before - this was one hell of a high note to go out on. If he died now, then he died a warrior's death that any saiyan would be proud of. King Vegeta might even acknowledge him postmortem if only because of the prestige.

Would it be kinder to let him die from his wounds now? It would certainly make things easier down the line for himself, that Bardock was certain.

"Bardock!" Fasha yelled through his scouter, "we're about to arrive, so hold on a little longer." She continued, prompting another sigh from Bardock. This time he knew what it was. He made his decision.

"No need. Tarble took out the vanguard unit and the Green Lantern," Bardock said with a wiry grin, wondering if he should have saved that info until after they arrived just so he could see their faces. But, he needed them to know before it was too late. "Leek, get over here. We need a healing pod and we needed it yesterday. I'll meet you halfway."

"Wait, wait, wait," Shugesh started, Bardock could practically see the disbelief that he wore. Bardock couldn't blame him for that. "Hold up. You aren't going to just move on like you didn't say what you just said. Tarble killed a Green Lantern?" He asked for clarification, a chorus from the rest of the team echoing his question as they raced to the city.

"Yes. I'll give you details later - better yet, you'll get to hear it from Tarble if Leek gets his ass over here before he bleeds out." Bardock said, his tone cutting off any arguments. He would be bombarded with questions soon enough, not just from his team but from-

"Bardock!" The Brat Prince shouted from above, making him lookup. Prince Vegeta landed hard enough that the already battered street cracked on impact, his expression a furious snarl that it seemed both siblings inherited by their father. Vegeta opened his mouth to bark out an order, only for his words to flee him when his eyes fell on his brother. His eyes widened an expression that Bardock never thought he would see on the face of the royal bloodline passed over his face.

Huh, would you look at that, Bardock thought at seeing an expression of fear on Vegeta's face when his eyes landed on his dying brother. That, Bardock hadn't expected. Everyone knew about the near unnatural closeness between father and son the Vegeta's shared - Bardock understood it better than most having raised Raditz, but he hadn't expected that same closeness was shared between siblings.

"Tarble! Is he?" Bardock would have laughed if he wasn't very aware that despite being so small, the prince was still twice as strong as him. He even sounded afraid. Honestly, it was hilarious.

"Not yet," Bardock answered, pressing down on his scouter again. "Leek, where are you?" He demanded to know from his pilot. For what Leek lacked in fighting ability, he more than made up for with skill in a spaceship. Others looked down on him for it, but skill was skill and Bardock knew he could rely on the working-class saiyan. Until now, apparently. "Leek! Does anyone know where Leek is? We need a healing pod!"

There was silence. Bardock's brow furrowed, "Fasha, Tora, Shugesh? Borgos?" Bardock tried the usually silent saiyan as well and still getting nothing.

"Bardock, what is going on? Are your useless team coming or not," Vegeta snarled at him, looking like he was about to blast him. Odd were, knowing his temperament, the only thing saving him right now was that he was holding Tarble. "And where is the Green Lantern?"

Bardock kicked the corpse, "there's the Lantern. And can you contact anyone on your scouter? I'm getting nothing on mine." Bardock asked, a frown tugging at his lips. He paid Vegeta's stunned expression no mind - what was going on with his scouter? Was it busted? It couldn't be, it worked literally a minute ago. "Vegeta, is your scouter working?" He pressed, snapping the boy out of his shock.

Vegeta managed to tear his gaze off the corpse, a hand went up to his scouter. "Na- is anyone there? Raditz?" He tried, a beat of...well, calling it silence was a bit of a stretch considering all the explosions throughout the city, but after a moment Vegeta looked at him with confusion. So no one was picking up for him either.

"Did the Lantern do something?" Vegeta asked, and that was a good question. Bardock thought about it before he shook his head.

"I doubt it. It was giving dramatic speeches then Tarble killed it. Unless it was on some kind of delay, I don't think it was the Lantern that knocked out our coms," Bardock dismissed with a shake of his head. He looked down at Tarble, the boy's lips still moving but no words came out. He...didn't have a lot of time left. They needed a healing pod. Now.

"The Reach must have done it, but we don't have time to stand around. Does your ship have a healing pod?" Bardock asked, floating up. Vegeta looked like a sharp retort was on his tongue, but he glanced at Tarble and swallowed it.

"I do," Vegeta said, wearing an expression of grim determination. "Keep up," he said before blasting up towards the sky, Bardock hot on his heels- Bardock was forced to dodge out of the way of a Frieza-force drone suddenly went still in the air. He looked behind him, his confusion only grew when he saw all of the Frieza-force drones were slowly falling. Tens of thousands of them raining to the ground, the Reach drones crashing into them.

Whatever knocked their scouters offline was impacting their drones too? Bardock wished he understood technobabble to have an idea of what could do that. The why was obvious enough. Communication was vital to a battlefield, whether it was a small team like his or an army numbering in the millions. Without it, a frontline would fall apart.

Bardock followed after the prince, Tarble in his arms, as a sinking feeling formed in his gut. He couldn't tell how far whatever it was spread, but it was for the entire planet then the Reach must be planning some kind of offensive. He pressed down on his scouter, doing a general scan - he could still get power levels, so it seemed that only the communication aspect was taken out.

He spotted four familiar ones heading their way. "My team is incoming," Bardock yelled, a frown still on his lips. His team numbered seven, including Leek. He was missing a member.

"If they can't keep up then I'll take my brother and leave the rest of you trash behind," Vegeta swore, still trailing ahead. The ground below them passed in a blur - another city could be seen in the distance, illuminated by the countless fires that raged. If it was an offensive, then he doubted it would be there. A stronghold.

The mountain. At the very least, they had a scarab that broke the hundred thousand in there, and that was just what they revealed. If they had another...ten in there? Between the lack of communication, those ten scarabs could completely change the tide of the battle for this planet.

"Bardock!" Tora called out, falling in line alongside him with the others. "We were trying to reach you but-"

"Coms are out," Bardock finished for him with a nod, spotting the others with him. Everyone except Leek. Fasha flew beside him, looking down at Tarble with a concerned expression. Gine rubbed off on her more than she was willing to admit - she had a soft spot for kids. Or, at the very least, she had one for Tarble. "Get ready for a fight when we get to the ship. The Reach has to be planning something."

"Figured as much. Hows the kid?" Tora questioned as Bardock spotted the mountain in the distance. It really was stupidly huge.

"Dying," Bardock answer honestly. "You should have seen the fight, though. He figured out a way to do it," he added lowly, making Tora's eyes widened and earning a sharp look from Fasha.

"Does the prince know?" Fasha asked so quietly that her voice was nearly lost in the wind. Bardock shook his head - that was one card that Bardock wanted to have up his sleeve as long as possible. He spent years learning how to control his oozaru form, he finally got the hang of it months before he agreed to be taught by Nappa.

It was a mistake to kill him, Bardock reflected. He had wanted to take out a powerful ally for a man that would one day be his enemy. Who already considered him one. So, when he saw the chance to rob King Vegeta of a powerful saiyan and a good general, he took it. He crushed his throat and stomped on his head to cover his tracks.

The plan was to figure it out himself then teach the rest of his team. Nappa deciding to teach all of them had been a surprise. A generous offer by a royal bootlicker - odds were Nappa was planning to kill him and write it off as a training accident. Now, with this new power that seemed to be even greater than the oozaru transformation, that was a card Bardock wanted to keep hidden up his sleeve as long as he possibly could.

"No, and we need to make sure it stays that way," Bardock said just as quietly as they rapidly approached the base. "We make up some excuse why Tarble can't teach it to anyone but us, and we keep it a secret for as long as we can. I'm not ready to take the throne yet," Bardock admitted.

But he would, soon enough. King Vegeta sat on his throne back on planet Vegeta, getting fat and lazy, so secure in his title as king he hadn't participated in a single battle this entire war. Prince Vegeta was going to be an issue, already he was stronger than his father, but if push came to shove, between the Wrath State and his team, Bardock was confident they could win that fight.

Then Tarble...time would tell.

"Got it, we'll blame it on Frieza," Fasha agreed. All ways a favored person to blame for anything. Bardock nodded, already thinking of a quick excuse. Something something, Frieza won't like it, something something blowing up the saiyan race, something something just do what I say. Whatever he went with, the results would stay the same.

He and his team were going to have one hell of a leg up on King Vegeta when the time came. It might not be soon, it may still be years from now, the day he walked up those steps, sat his ass in that throne and became king of the saiyans might not come until after the war was over. But it would come. That much, Bardock was certain.

"Am I the only one still stuck on the kid killing a Green Lantern?" Shugesh spoke up, still looking stunned by the revelation. "Because the kid killed a Green Lantern. I mean, I knew the kid was a freak of nature, but this is something else. A Green Lantern. Hey, do you think that's going to be enough to make them declare war?"

Bardock shook his head, "it sounded like the Lantern was acting on its own. The Guardians are probably going to say as much even if it wasn't, and I doubt that the Reach is going to call them on it." The war, despite going on for four years now, was still barely kicking off. They hadn't hit any of the Reach's core worlds yet and the Reach was doing a better job hitting the Trade Organizations wallet than controlled planets.

"That doesn't matter right now, we need to get the little super saiyan down for a nap," Fasha said, blasting off even faster, a silent challenge for them to go even faster. Bardock and the rest of the team obliged, racing towards the HQ, the mountain off in the distance, a looming threat. Bardock half expected that the HQ would be a hole in the ground, but the sizable encampment was still standing.

It housed hundreds of thousands, serving as a base of operations for an army that numbered in the millions. It was bigger than the city that it was based outside of, a large bubble shield protecting it from glass storms. Vegeta lead them to the docking area since most ships were in orbit, it was a lot smaller than one would assume. The saiyan prince went down first, an alien running up to him.

"Sir-ah!" Was all it managed to get out before Vegeta raised a hand and blasted the alien, by the time the blinding flash of light was done there wasn't anything left of it. Seemed that the prince wasn't in the mood for interruptions.

"This way," Vegeta snarled, dashing into the without touching the ground, flying into the ship. Bardock and the rest followed him, sailing through a bulkhead door that had a hole burned through it since the prince didn't want to wait. Within seconds, Bardock found the familiar sight of the healing pods, rows upon rows of them.

Bardock wasted no time throwing Tarble into one of them, an extremely familiar sight of watching the battered kid be submerged in healing fluid. He turned his attention to the diagnostics screen and blanched - his organs were skewered, stomach acid burns on those skewered organs, extreme blood loss, and a long list of serious but less life-threatening injuries. The kid really took a beating this time.

"He's going to survive," Bardock said, not sure who he was talking to. Himself, maybe. "I've done worse to him, and he survived that, so he just needs some time." The words sounded like a lie to his own ears. Could the healing pod undo this amount of damage? It worked miracles before, bringing Tarble and the team from the brink of death more than once, but that was just broken bones and stuff. This was…

"Heh, and knowing him he'll sleep for the next month," Shugesh chuckled, getting a grin from Fasha. Bardock didn't know how the kid managed it either. He felt restless after a few short hours of sleep, but Tarble found a way to sleep for weeks on end between missions. Honestly, it was almost impressive.

"If he dies then so do all of you," Vegeta threatened, putting an end to the hopeful air the room held. The bite-sized prince turned around, his expression a cold mask that looked suspiciously like his fathers. "You, Bardock, explain what happened." He ordered, the or else going unsaid. This was why he hated dealing with the royal family.

He had harbored a hope that once he became mid-class, things would change. For him, and for his team. Instead, it was just more of the same.

Bardock opened his mouth to obey the order, only to be cut off as the ground shook. Not the kind of shake from tectonic plates shifting around, or the aftershocks of a bomb. But the kind of shaking that felt like the entire planet was about to fall apart. Bardock's heart went still in his chest, a suspicion making the blood freeze in his veins. Without a word, he shot out of the med bay, going to a convenient window that let him look up at the mountain.

Was it glowing?

The ship shook, and that was all he needed. Knocking off comms and now this? He had been purging planets for decades, he knew a trap when he saw one. Whatever was coming, it was big. Too big. Every instinct he had told him to get away, that this wasn't a foe to be fought but something else entirely.

"We need to get the ship in orbit!" Bardock shouted, whipping around at Vegeta, whose mouth was open to shot off another demand or something. "Now! Tell the pilot to get us out of here. Team, we're pushing the ship into orbit." He ordered, his team moving instantly to follow him out. The brat prince shouted something, but Bardock didn't care. The pilot would have to seal the ship if whatever alien was flying it didn't want to get ventilated.

"What's going on?" Tora asked, getting underneath the ship as chaos started all around them. The shields shimmered, trying to maintain their shape as the planet shook underfoot. Lesser species weren't able to remain standing, makeshift buildings were falling apart. Some soldiers were running around, shouting the same question that Tora just asked.

"I don't know," Bardock answered, starting to fly. Between him and his team, it was a simple task to lift the ship off the ground. "But whatevers coming is going to wipe this place off the face of the map." He didn't know if it was a scarab, a weapon or what. Regardless, the shaking didn't bode well.

"H-hey! You're leaving? Take us with you!" An alien shouted, pointing at them. It looked like a saiyan but lacked a tail. It was really weird just how many aliens looked like saiyans sometimes. Its shouting made other aliens look over at them, some of them running forward to what could be a safe boat.

They didn't have any time to wait for aliens to get on. In response, Bardock raised a hand as they flew higher into the sky. An energy blast formed in his hand, aimed at the alien that spoke out first. A group of them formed up, their mouths open to say something but Bardock didn't have time to hear it. He fired the energy blast wiping them all out.

Unsurprisingly, the aliens didn't take kindly to that. "Get back here!" One shouted as others rushed to get on the few ships in the docks, it fired its gun at him. Bardock just tsked as he backhanded the energy blast to the side before he returned the favor.

"Let's get out of here before one gets a lucky hit in," Shugesh commented as they continued to sail higher. The landing gear began to slide upwards, the thrusters flaring to life. He got a nod of agreement from Bardock as he willed himself up faster, busting through the energy shield and sailing up towards the atmosphere. Bardock found himself looking over at the mountain - it was defiantly glowing.

However, now that he was so high, rapidly approaching the clouds, he looked down and saw that the damage wasn't centered around the HQ. Bardock watched as a jet of magma erupted to the surface, the ground splitting apart near the HQ, a portion of it breaking off into a chasm that seemed to never end.

The planet was shaking itself apart. How-

"They blew up the planet's core!" Bardock realized, his eyes going wide. Worse, the coms were still out so he couldn't tell anyone. The signs were there - the entire planet looked like it was falling apart, but he knew there was going to be an explosive finish. He let go of the ship, the team following him to circle around to the docking bay. Banging on the metal door, he looked up at where the cameras were but, a few seconds passed and nothing happened.

No, something did happen. The ship started to pick up speed. The brat planned to leave them all behind.

Bardock clenched his jaw behind his mask, going to the cockpit where he would be able to look in. Predictably, he saw an alien behind the wheel but behind it was Vegeta. The brat glared at him even as he smirked arrogantly like there was absolutely nothing he could do now. Vegeta couldn't see it, but that didn't mean there wasn't a cruel smirk on Bardock's face as he formed an energy ball in his hand.

A clear threat. Let my team on or we all die.

Vegeta's face twisted into an expression of rage. For a moment, Bardock half expected Vegeta to call him out on his bluff. The only issue was, Bardock wasn't bluffing. Dying here wasn't the death that he wanted for him or his team, but if it took out that arrogant brat, then it was completely worth it.

Then, after long enough that Bardock thought that silence might be his answer, Vegeta gave him a curt nod. The pilot pressed a button, prompting Bardock to glance at Tora out of the corner of his eye, to see his friend giving him a nod. The door was opened. Bardock wasted no time to get back inside the ship, the others following him.

Vegeta was waiting for him when he got there, the bulkhead door sealing shut behind them. Bardock ruthlessly crushed the anger he felt in favor of focusing on the issue at hand.

"The Reach blew up the planet's core," he started, cutting off the brat. Really, why couldn't he take after his brother more than his father? "We need to get out of this system. Fast," Bardock continued, brushing past the prince to go tell the pilot himself. How big would the explosion be? Where was the safe distance? Bardock had no idea.

"You forget your place, Bardock," Vegeta snarled at him, a threat in his tone. Bardock came to a stop, looking at the boy before his eyes flickered over to Fasha. She gave him a nod before disappearing down the other hallway to make her way to the pilot while he was stuck dealing with a temper tantrum. "You do not order me around. _You_ do not threaten _me_, trash."

They couldn't fight here. For one, the ship would be destroyed so they would all lose. With his entire team here, without the oozaru transformation, they had a chance. A lot of them would die, but they could win. At least for a little while.

"I'm sorry, my prince," Bardock said, biting back...a lot of things he wanted to say. There were few people that irritated Bardock as much as the prince did. Though, admittedly, most of that stemmed from his lack of ability to murder the child. And the fact that said child was stronger than him.

"Do you think a simple apology is enough?" Vegeta questioned, baring his teeth in a feral smirk. "I am your prince! At the very least, you shouldn't be standing over me as you beg for my forgiveness."

The mission, the team, then pride. Bardock had to remind himself of the words he told Tarble, a code that he forged in blood and pain. A code that made him and his team employees of the month for the past ten years.

Bardock dropped to a knee, bringing him to nearly eye level-

"Lower," Vegeta snapped, making Bardock grit his teeth. The mission, the team, then pride - again, Bardock was forced to remind himself. Obediently, under the gazes of the prince and his team, Bardock dropped to both knees and lowered his head- he allowed his face to bounce off the ground when Vegeta stepped on the back of his head. Tora made a noise of rage, going to do something, but Bardock held up a hand to stop him. Though, he suspected it was through the combined might of Borgos and Shugesh that kept Tora from launching himself at the prince. "There. Much better. Do you remember where you belong now?"

The mission, the team, then pride. "I do," Bardock lied. When he ascended to the throne, Vegeta's death wasn't going to be a clean one. He wouldn't die a warrior's death. He would die screaming, Bardock swore to himself.

"Very good, Bardock," Vegeta praised, a smile in his voice as he ground his heel into the back of his head. "Now, beg me for forgiveness. Seeing you like this had put me in a good mood - if you do a good job of it, I might even let you live."

"..." The mission, the team, then pride. "I-" Bardock started before Shugesh interrupted him.

"The planet!" He exclaimed, gesturing to a window. Vegeta looked over, whatever he saw was enough to let Bardock escape from underneath his boot - before he turned his attention to what was on the other side of the window, Bardock spared a fantasy of wrapping his hands around Vegeta's throat to strangle him. He pushed the fantasy to the side with practiced ease and looked at the planet. It was growing more distant by the second, but even from so far away, lines of lava could be seen.

Entire oceans were gone, a cloud of ash covering some of the planet, landmasses had shifted or were gone entirely. The signs of destruction grew - lines of red became oceans of lava, the dull sandy color of the planet was black, giant lightning storms appeared. Before his very eyes, Bardock was watching the death of a planet.

Then it simply started falling apart. There was no great explosion that he expected but it was a lot like a string pulled too tight. The tension grew to be too much until it snapped. Chunks of the planet flew away, breaking apart the atmosphere. Others drifted apart, leaving nearly half of the planet whole. None of it happened instantly either - they must have stood in front of the window for hours, watching the planet shake itself apart.

"Why would they do that?" Borgos asked in his usually soft voice.

"Because...they wanted to deny us a staging ground," Bardock answered, his lips curling up into a smile. The Reach destroyed a planet to inconvenience the Frieza-force, to stretch their supply lines when they assured the shield world. They killed millions of their own soldiers to buy time. They did it because a planet and those armies were expendable.

This war...for the past four years, that was just the prelude.

The real war started now.

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	15. Sight of Awe

Someone was tapping on the glass of my healing pod. The vibrations ran through me, almost enough to break me free of the deep sleep I found myself in. My eyes fluttered, letting catch a glimpse of green healing fluid, but not much else. I tried again, my eyelids feeling like they were made of lead before I gave up after a few seconds-

"Wake up!" Someone yelled, banging on the surface hard enough that the glass cracked and the entire pod shook. My eyes shot open, though I had to blink a few times to see that it was Vegeta hammering away at the tank, a small leak of healing fluid from the cracked glass.

"Vegeta?" I questioned, swallowing a yawn as I shook off the vestiges of sleep. I stretched out my arms, hearing a few muffled pops before I cracked my neck. Since I spent so much time in a healing pod, I could roughly guess that I had been in here for some time. Longer than normal for me.

"You're up. Finally. You've been out of it for a month," Vegeta scowled, doing the draining procedures so the healing fluid began to drain out the pod. An entire month? Not counting my time in the gestation tank, that was my longest stay in a healing pod. So far, at least.

Then I recalled why I was in the healing pod in the first place. My hands went down to my broken armor, using a bit of ki to open it up to inspect my stomach. Just above my bellybutton was a thin long line where the scarab stabbed. Though, there didn't seem to be any other scars from where he turned my insides into a pincushion.

The action brought my attention to my hands. Over the years, due to constant abuse, my fingers became a little crooked from the constant breaks and fractures. Now they were all straightened out, so someone must have reset them while I was out. My attention was stolen when the pod cracked open, letting me get out to see that Vegeta was staring at me with an odd expression on his face.

An odd mixture of pride and jealousy. Before I could ask what was wrong, he held out a necklace with a...oh. Yeah. The Green Lantern. I killed it, didn't I?

Numbly, I took the necklace, feeling the deceptive weight to the small green ring. The necklace was made of beads of some metal that didn't look like aluminum-

"It's Nth metal," he informed, getting a sharp look from me. Nth metal? The stuff the Thangarians used? "I got it from Father," he said, smirking at my stunned look. "Don't look so shocked. You're the first saiyan to ever kill a Green Lantern. It would be an insult to your honor to give anything less."

Numbly, I looked down at the necklace, a sense of awe filling me. Nth metal was incredibly valuable. I didn't know all of its properties, but it's what gave the Thangarian empire their strength. It allowed people to fly with enough of it, and stuff like that. So, it was probably little more than a decorative piece since I could already do that, but that didn't change it was one of the most coveted metals in the galaxy.

Then the ring...one of the most powerful tools in the galaxy. I looked at the emblem emblazoned on the front, an emblem that inspired hope and fear to everyone in the galaxy. For the briefest of seconds, I considered putting it on. At my absolute strongest, I hadn't been able to put so much as a scratch on its shields. I dismissed the idea in favor of putting the necklace on, displaying a fierce grin for Vegeta to see.

"Does this mean…?" I asked after a moment, my heart going still in my chest. Vegeta's smirk became a full-blown smile. He looked happier than I did as if the universe itself had proved him right and everyone else wrong. It took a moment for confirmation to sink in, and even as it did, it would be days before I really believed it.

I was being welcomed into the royal family. The thing that I fought to achieve for so long, from battlefield to battlefield, from planet to planet, nearly dying more times than I could possibly count. The gallons of sweat and blood I spilled, the hundreds of bones I've broken - I pushed myself to my absolute limit in every fight, clawing and biting for every single scrap of strength, and each time I came back a little stronger.

All for this. To be able to call my father, Father. To call my mother, Mother. To call Vegeta my brother. To have a family.

And it was being handed to me.

"I…" I started, not having the words. I don't know what I was trying to say. A hand reached up to my necklace, gripping it so tightly that I spared a worry that it might break. King Vegeta was welcoming me into the family because I killed a Green Lantern. I was the first to do it. That was the merit that made him acknowledge me.

But I wasn't the one that killed the Green Lantern. Not really. It was the Guardians. They turned the ring off, which made the bubble shield disappear. Before that, my attack wasn't doing anything. I'm pretty sure they saved my life too because I saw it take aim at me, a second later and I would be the dead one instead of it- instead of Kaylark.

"Not yet," I decided more to myself than to Vegeta. I couldn't accept my place now. Not based on a misunderstanding. I stared at Vegeta, his shocked expression turning grave as he met my gaze. "I'm not elite-class yet. I know it could take a few years, but I don't want to earn my place by getting lucky once."

Vegeta didn't say anything, his expression serious, so I continued, half rambling to get my thoughts out. "I can't accept being a part of the royal family how I am now. I-, if you still want me, I can accept it when I'm strong enough. But not before. I...I'm sorry." I finished lamely, feeling that words weren't enough. Joining the royal family was something that I desired since I found myself in this life, but...I couldn't accept it. Not when it's been handed to me.

He let out a small breath, "I suppose you wouldn't have gotten this far without growing a spine at some point." Vegeta accepted my decision with a firm nod, sounding disappointed but not unhappy. A smirk played at the edge of his lips after a moment, "though, I suppose we won't have to wait much longer. Here, take this."

I caught the scouter he tossed my way, a sinking suspicion on what he was trying to show me. I attached the deep red scouter to the side of my head, switched it to self-scan and pressed the button. The power level reader went up. And up. And up and up. The milliseconds that it took to break through six thousand seemed to last an eternity. After four years, I was nearly used to a small jump in pl after a major fight or spar.

But the scouter blew passed 6500. Then it hit 7000. My heart went still in my chest as the scouter kept going. It went past 7500 in a split second. It hit 8000 but it still didn't stop. It only took a second before it read 8450. It stayed there, blinking at me, marking myself as a priority threat.

That was nearly a 2000 point jump. By far the biggest jump so far. 1550 points. That's all it would take before I hit elite-class.

"Oh," I muttered, stunned by the jump in strength. I didn't really feel that powerful compared to before. I was stronger than Bardock now. I was nearly as strong as Queen Teach, and she was the strongest mid-class. Actually, at this point, she was probably elite-class too. "Wow."

Vegeta let out a short laugh at my reaction, sounding genuinely amused by my dumbfounded expression. "That does sum up most people's reactions so far," he commented, crossing his arms. "Most saiyans don't see jumps in power like that until they hit their second growth spurt," he informed, getting a slow nod from me.

Saiyans grew in bursts. For the first twelve years, we looked like four years old. At twelve, we had our first growth spurt, growing to appear eight years old. Then, at sixteen, we grew into full-sized adults, and it was there that the biggest jump in power came from. An adult body could handle greater strain, its reach was longer, it was more powerful and so on. After that, at twenty, there was a final growth spurt that was much smaller, as if to finalize some changes.

A saiyan with a power level of over a hundred was considered mid-class, so by the time he hit his second growth spurt, his power level would be over 5000. The exact jump in power varied from saiyan to saiyan but most experienced a jump between two or three thousand. And I hadn't even experienced my first growth spurt yet. I wouldn't for another f-...eight years since the time in the gestation tank didn't count.

Vegeta let out a small breath, "but, if that's your decision, then at the very least we won't be waiting long. Now, come on little brother, you've been asleep for a while and the situation has changed."

...You know, after four years of war, I was used to getting punched. I wasn't used to getting punched in the feelings.

Swallowing back emotion, I nodded, "what's changed?" I asked as Vegeta dramatically turned around, his red cape fluttering out as he went to walk out of the room. I fell in line behind him, only for him to glare at me over his shoulder as he slowed- oh.

Swallowing back more emotion, I walked beside my brother before he answered. "For starters, the Reach blew up planet D'xe," he informed casually as we stepped out of the medical bay. It took a split second to process that, and upon seeing my confusion, Vegeta explained as we walked. "They detonated some manner of an explosive device inside the planet's core. It shook itself apart, killing our armies and theirs. We were one of the few to make it off."

That was...kinda insane. They blew up a planet? "They wanted to deny us a staging ground to attack planet Sereall. And prevent Lord Frieza from reselling the planet," I muttered to myself, my mind racing. Having spent years behind enemy lines, I learned the value of supplies. A fleet, especially one the size of on in the Frieza-force, needed near-constant maintenance, supplies, and fuel. Not to mention the food, water, and ammo for the armies they transported.

Destroying planet D'xe meant that the staging ground for our invasion of planet Sereal had to be pushed back to planet...I don't remember. The one with the pink sky. That stretched our supply lines rather far. Stretched supply lines had a nasty habit of snapping when tugged a little too far. For a small squad like the one I was on, it didn't really mean much being cut off. For an army that numbered in the millions? That was very different.

I caught Vegeta giving me an odd look, prompting me to shrug my shoulders, "I learned a lot about this stuff from Bardock…" I trailed off, it suddenly clicking what Vegeta said earlier. "Is my team…?"

Vegeta's expression soured at the mention of Bardock, but he nodded all the same. "They're all alive. Wait, no, there was that low-class pilot. He hasn't come back yet, so he's probably dead."

Leek was dead? That was...not that surprising, I guess. As the planets ramped up their defenses, his skills as a pilot meant less and less as we were forced to base jump to planets to avoid getting shot down. I guess he either got shot down, or he didn't make it off the planet in time. I would have to get the story from Bardock later.

"Anyway, we've been prepping our assault on planet Sereall here," there was a hungry edge to his voice, his expression becoming a little more sinister. "There is going to be a great battle coming, little brother. Frieza has assigned ten fleets to the assault, and the armies number in the hundreds of millions."

Fleets? I questioned as we walked by a window. I stopped where I was when I saw what was on the other side. The vacuum of space served as a black backdrop behind thousands of ships. Tens of thousands, maybe. Nearly all of them were the standard saucer-shaped spaceships of varying sizes, but there were more than a few other kinds mixed in. Some were shaped like bricks, others were elegant and soft curves, while one was a liberated beetle shaped flagship.

Just looking at it, I could believe what he said. The standard fleet in the Frieza-force was somewhere around a couple of hundred ships, give or take a hundred. There were thousands hovering around a planet that my team had conquered. In those ships were armies, heavy weaponry, drones - everything we could possibly want when assaulting a planet. And…

"How prepared is the Reach?" I can't imagine that they were unprepared. If Lord Frieza is pulling this kind of firepower and numbers from the other fronts, then he must think it was necessary. He intended planet Sereall to be where the Frieza-force breaks through their defensive lines, to carve our way through to their core worlds.

Vegeta cackled, telling me all that I needed to know. Despite myself, I felt a grin tugging at the edges of my lips.

"Our probes tell us that they've reinforced the planet heavily. They've recalled five of their fleets and stationed a number of their scarabs there." Vegeta explained, excitement clear in his tone.

"So, they want a decisive battle," I theorized, tearing my gaze from the incredibly powerful force we had gathered. We started walking again, all the while I tried to picture the battle to come. The Reach would have defense platforms. In orbit and on the planet. A dozen vanguard scarabs would be enough to stall an army, but if they had hundreds...or thousands… "This could determine the outcome of the war."

I can't imagine the Reach would be so short-sided to put all their chips on us not taking Sereall, but if we did take it, and quickly, that would put them on the backfoot. Provided that the invasion never lost its momentum, we could end this war in about ten years or so. Maybe less.

"Yes, that is what the admirals have been saying," Vegeta confirmed with a nod of his head as we walked. A group of saiyans approached from the other end, right up until they saw us. They dropped to a knee, bowing their heads low as we passed. As soon as we walked by, I heard them whisper to each other.

"That was the low-class prince," one whispered to another, his voice tinged with awe. That nickname...was sticking around, was it?

"Did you see that necklace-" A bulkhead door cut off the response from the woman, her voice filled with wonder.

I glanced behind me, caught off guard by the sheer reverence in their tone. It was like they were meeting a celebrity or...well… I guess since saiyans didn't care to create any form of entertainment besides fighting, I was the closest thing to a celebrity my race had. That was...weird.

"Don't waste your time with them," Vegeta chided. "If you stop and stare at everyone that gives you the respect and fear you're due, you'll never do anything at all."

"Right," I agreed, moving on from the subject even as I saw a six-armed furry alien come to a stop before stepping out of our way, his feline head bowing out of respect when he looked at me. "When do we attack?" I asked, returning the nod and tried not to think about how weird it was to have this kind of respect aimed my way.

"Soon. We depart when Frieza shows up," Vegeta answered, getting another sharp look from me.

"Lord Frieza? Is he participating in the attack?" I asked, surprised by the news. So far, he played a relatively minor role in the way. More often than not, he was filling in the role that the Frieza-force did - taking planets to be sold to customers, though instead of purging the natives, he enslaved them. Those natives, rather than being sold on the galactic market, were turned into soldiers.

"Perhaps. Some think so, but I doubt it. He's probably here to watch," Vegeta dismissed with more than a little venom in his tone. Though, that was in line with what I've heard about Lord Frieza.

"Well, if he does participate, then we can't lose," I figured with a small shake of my head. Lord Frieza was so powerful that his power level was unknown. Despite advancements in scouter tech, none could measure the sheer breadth of Lord Frieza's might. All we knew was that his power level was at least 10 million. 10 million. At least. He was more than a thousand times stronger than me. _At least_.

Vegeta huffed but didn't argue the point. None could deny that Lord Frieza was one hell of an equalizer.

"Well, it looks like the little Super Saiyan is up from his nap," I heard Fasha announce her presence before Vegeta could respond. I looked over at her as she crossed a hallway, Shugesh behind her with a broad smile on his face. She reached out to rub the top of my head, and, now, I realized that I was stronger. It wasn't so much that she seemed to be moving slow, but it felt like I had all the time in the galaxy to dodge the action.

I didn't, though. She rubbed the top of my head hard enough that I'm pretty sure I was missing a few hairs by the time she was done. "And look at that, you have a trophy and everything-"

"We were speaking," Vegeta cut her off, looking down at Fasha even though she had about two feet on him. Fasha glanced over at Vegeta, her friendly smile still there but her gaze was sharp as a knife. I glanced between them, it was impossible to not notice the tension between them. Well...given that last time I was conscious, Vegeta was trying to execute Bardock, and apparently, he was still alive, so I'm guessing something went down while I was in the pod.

"My apologies, my prince," Fasha said, her tone so polite that it was clear that she was being sarcastic. Vegeta glowered at her, her mocking not going unnoticed. I didn't say anything at all, more shocked than anything. What happened while I was out? Fasha mocking Vegeta, to his face no less, was the very last thing I expected her to do. And she wouldn't do it unless she felt like she could get away with it.

"But," she continued, turning her attention back to me, "I thought that since you're up, you'd like to come with me to the mess hall. The rest of the team is there," she explained, then glancing back at Vegeta, "yours too."

I nodded, wanting to get Bardock's take on all of this. Then I realized who was with me. Just because Bardock was alive, that didn't mean that Vegeta didn't want to kill him.

"I'll come," Vegeta announced, striding forward, forcing Shugesh to step out of the way or Vegeta would have gone through him. I started to follow a split second later, Fasha resting a hand on the top of my head as we walked together. She sent me a smirk as she patted my head, reaching down with her other hand to inspect my trophy.

"So, this is a Lantern ring," Fasha muttered, nearly strangling me to bring it closer to inspect. "Never thought I'd see one up close and personal."

"That's the most powerful weapon in the galaxy?" Shugesh commented, sounding disappointed. "Where's the battery?"

"I don't know," I admitted, letting them inspect the ring. "But it's stronger than it looks. Kaylark nearly killed me with it," I explained, looking up at the ring for a moment. I was kinda out of it when she aimed it at my face, but even still, I could recall her speech with perfect clarity.

"She managed to overpower the no-kill setting on the ring that the Guardians set. It started to glitch out and say stuff like 'extreme willpower detected' and if she hadn't died, then she was going to kill every member of the Frieza-force and the Reach on her home planet," I explained, smiling lightly at the memory. I'm pretty sure I said a lot of things when I was fighting, but her retort had been flawless.

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Fasha teased while Shugesh snickered at my expense. I shot both of them a look while I pulled my necklace out of Fasha's grasp-

"Of course he doesn't! As if any saiyan would want to mate with an alien!" Vegeta snapped, glaring at all three of us as he whipped around, spinning on his heel.

"I don't," I said, wanting to cut off a retort that I knew was on Fasha's lips. "She…" She was going to kill me. And my team. And everyone else. She wasn't just going to clear the planet, but she was going to take the fight to the Frieza-force and the Reach at the same time. She was going to take on the entire galaxy. If I had to put my thoughts on her in words, then… "Kaylark was a worthy enemy."

"High praise coming from the Super Saiyan," Fasha continued to tease, ignoring Vegeta's outburst, who just huffed in annoyance while nodding.

"I'm not the Super Saiyan," I protested with a shake of my head. The Super Saiyan was a myth...oh.

Oh...

Well...I guess that explains why my partial transformation didn't work like I thought it would. I was missing a pretty big step. I had to be a Super Saiyan first. Holy shit, the Super Saiyan was real...

"Enough dawdling," Vegeta snapped, walking faster towards the cafeteria and breaking me out of my stupor. At that, we all rushed to obey, turning a corner. Vegeta walked next to me the entire way, edging out Fasha. I don't know what happened, but they really didn't like each other.

After that, it didn't take long to reach the cafeteria. As soon as we entered the sizable room made to serve thousands of soldiers at once, it seemed to fall silent. Borgos stood up, bringing our attention to the table that Bardock had claimed before we started walking towards him. It felt like every single set of eyes was on me, that every whisper was about me. I didn't need my enhanced hearing to know they were talking about the ring around my neck and how I got it.

"You're up. Finally," Bardock said to me, but his gaze never left Vegeta. His arms were crossed, leaning back in his chair while a mountain of used plates and bowls flanked him. I glanced between them, feeling...uncertain but unsurprised.

My team and my brother didn't like each other. And I didn't like that.

Bardock stared at me for a moment as Tora went to pack me on the back hard enough that he probably would have broken my spine a couple of years ago. Borgos shoved a plate of food in my direction, munching on his own meal. Bardock's eyes dipped to the ring hanging around my neck before his nostrils flared, not out of annoyance.

"Spiral Buster," he said, earning a blink from me.

"What?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"That attack you used on the Green Lantern. Call it Spiral Buster," he said, smirking at my surprised expression. I mulled over the name, thinking that it fit it pretty well. I nodded, accepting the name to my new technique. It was better than anything I could come up with on my own.

"What happened to Leek?" I asked as a saiyan around Vegeta's age walked up to him. His hair was crazily long, dipping down past his waist in thick spiky locks of hair. Bardock glanced at the two as they talked before he answered. "We don't know. Our coms got cut on...the last planet we were on, and we never heard from him before the planet collapsed on itself. It's been a month with nothing, so he's probably dead."

Oh. Well…"I hope he went out like a warrior, at least," I muttered, grabbing some of the food stacked up on the plate and munching on it thoughtfully. I wasn't exactly close to Leek. He was never on the ground, in the thick of it like the rest of us, but he was more than just a ride to and from missions.

"Hm," Bardock agreed before he turned his attention to the saiyan with the really long hair. "Raditz, let's go. Gine was wanting to talk to us. As a family," Bardock said suddenly standing, getting Raditz, his son apparently, to turn around. Judging by the expression on his face, Raditz was caught just as much off guard by the sudden announcement as I was.

Raditz glanced at Vegeta, who barely noticed as he glared at Bardock, "er, sure?" He said, glancing at Vegeta, probably to make sure he didn't make his disagreement known with a ki attack. When he said nothing, Raditz started to walk away with Bardock, only for him to pause, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"And don't you go twiddling your thumbs until we attack Sereall. Find something productive to do-" Bardock started but he was quick to cut himself off when Vegeta prepped a ki attack in his hands, his face twisted into a snarl.

"Know your place Bardock, or do I have to remind you over it?" He spat, the raw hate in his tone catching me off guard. "My brother is stronger than you now. You don't have the right to give him orders," he snarled, so furious that I half expected him to let loose his attack and kill everyone here.

Bardock frowned, but cocked his head to the side, "oh? I'm still his team leader, aren't I? And he's not a member of the royal family yet." He commented and, it was really weird what my brain decided to latch onto during that exchange. Yet. I wasn't a member of the royal family yet. Bardock fully believed that I was going to become an elite-class. That was oddly reassuring, in a way.

But the rest of his retort implied he knew I wouldn't accept Vegeta's offer to be raised into the family.

"You-" Vegeta cursed, the light glowing brightly as he prepared to fire his attack off. I saw Tora go tense, ready to either attack or dodge, while I knew the others were doing the same behind me. The thousand or so others, the ones nearby looked nervous, while the ones further away seemed confused about what was happening.

If Vegeta would have fired his shot, we would never know because of every single scouter in the room, in the entire army, beeping to display a message.

Lord Frieza's ship has entered the system.

Instantly, the light from Vegeta's ki attack died. The palpable tension between them vanished, replaced by a very different kind of tension. Lord Frieza was here. That fact seemed to give the air itself weight that barred down on all of us. On the faces of aliens, I saw cold sweats appear on foreheads, a few shuffling in their seats. The mere fact that he was in the same system as us was enough to plunge a cafeteria filled to the absolute brim with soldiers from countless different species into total silence.

Then my scouter beeped with another message. A message that also appeared on Bardocks and Vegeta's scouters.

Report to Lord Frieza's ship.

"Oh, shit," I muttered, summing up the situation rather nicely. I had been summoned to Lord Frieza's ship. How did he know I was using this scouter? I just got it! And, more importantly, why would he possibly be summoning us? Could it be about the Green Lanterns? Oh...oh no…

Just because my species thought that the more powerful opponents the better, that didn't mean that opinion was shared with the rest of the Frieza-force. Actually, most would consider fighting several extremely powerful opponents at once a bad thing. Was Frieza one of those aliens? Had...oh no…

"Did the Green Lanterns declare war on us?" I asked, turning to Bardock and Vegeta, who looked just as lost as me. Had me killing Kaylark provoked the Green Lantern Corps?! Even with Lord Frieza, fighting the Reach and Green Lanterns at the same time could only end one way. Bardock cocked an eyebrow at the question before he shook his head, putting my fears to rest.

"No. The story they're going with was that it acted on its own," he dismissed as he started making his way to the door. If people were staring at me before, then they certainly were now. Fasha patted me on the back as we walked by, her expression grave. The others looked the same, though Tora gave a reassuring nod to me and Bardock.

So, they were telling the truth. The only problem was, it sounded like a lie. Maybe that was what Lord Frieza wanted to speak to us about?

"Tarble," Vegeta said as we neared the door, eyeing my ruined armor. "You can't greet Frieza dressed like that." He pointed out, and he wasn't wrong. Saiyans weren't ones for appearances, but when you're meeting someone like Lord Frieza…

"But we don't have any-"

"You there, slave," Vegeta snapped at one of the onlookers as we made to leave the cafeteria. A ferret looking alien snapped to attention, clearly confused at who Vegeta was addressing, but then it realized he was talking to it.

"Slave-? But I'm not-" It started to protest, but Vegeta kept going.

"Fetch my brother new armor and an undersuit. Now," Vegeta growled, the or else going unsaid as we walked out the room. "We will be at the docking port. Don't make us wait." He ordered as we strode through the door, the alien looked stunned but an expression of resigned acceptance appeared.

"Y-yes...master…?" It muttered before the bulkhead doors slid shut behind us. As soon as it did, I blew out a small breath, glancing at Vegeta and Bardock. Both looked completely calm, pointedly not looking at each other, but I knew their minds were racing just as fast as mine was.

"So, there haven't been any signs that the Green Lanterns are jumping in?" I asked, breaking the heavy silence. Both of them glanced at me, while Vegeta shook his head, Bardock spoke.

"None. But, I've heard they're raising a ruckus over Frieza ramping up his slaver tendencies, and he's stepping on the toes of a lot of neighbors," Bardock said with a small shrug. "Nothing certain though. The biggest thing holding them back from declaring on us would be that they would be allies by proxy with the Reach. A lot of bad blood there, and the Guardian's have long memories."

Vegeta scoffed, "cowards. They should simply attack the Reach as well."

I nodded, thinking that would be best for the war effort. A three-way fight sounded a lot better than a two vs one scenario.

"That's a can of worms that they don't want to open," I guessed, frowning as we neared an airlock. "Because if we hate the Green Lanterns more than we hate each other…" Then the Green Lanterns would certainly lose. There was a good possibility of it too since the Reach and Trade Organization were business partners for centuries and four years of war didn't erase that history.

"What is a worm?" Vegeta asked, giving me a hungry look. Ah, we left the cafeteria before we could eat.

"It's a small bug about the size of my finger. Slimy and they live in the dirt," I answered distractedly, coming to a stop at the airlock. A moment later, I heard the sound of footsteps and labored breathing. Glancing over, I saw the alien from before rushing towards us, armor and clothing in his hands.

"You're late," Vegeta commented, making the alien flinch as it hunched over, panting.

"Y-" It started to snap at my brother but thought better of it. "I am sorry," it spoke, swallowing a sharp retort. Vegeta smirked before he turned his attention back to me as Bardock continued into the airlock. "Get dressed, we'll wait for you on the other side." With that, it was just me and the alien.

"Thanks…" I said, taking the clothing and armor from it. This was really awkward, wasn't it? "Just avoid Vegeta for a couple of days, and he'll forget about it, okay?" I offered weakly, shrugging off my broken armor, cracked wristbands and shinguards.

"Will that work?" It asked, sounding hopeful, looking away as I got dressed. My undersuit was a solid black full-length one now, fully covering my arms and legs. My armor was the same model as before, so feeding my tail through it was just as uncomfortable as it always was. After everything was replaced, I tested my limits as I gave it a nod.

Truth be told, I had no idea. "Probably," I said instead. "Just avoid him, and maybe ditch your scouter. I don't think he has your name or anything, so you should be in the clear."

"Thank you tiny saiyan!" It said, its tail wagging happily behind it. "Don't let Frieza kill you, tiny saiyan!" The wolf alien panted, turning around to leave me to my potential fate. Not wanting to keep the others waiting, much, much, much less Lord Frieza, I quickly stepped into the airlock, slapped on a mask and air tank, and started the decompression process. With a few moments, I was floating in space, spotting Barock and Vegeta waiting for me.

"Let's go," Bardock said, flying upward to Lord Frieza's ship. Even in the sea of ships that hung in high orbit of the planet, it was impossible to mistake Lord Frieza's ship. It wasn't the largest, the most imposing, the most elegant or anything. A simple saucer-shaped ship, a design so similar to the standard ship, only the colors were off. Instead of yellow floaters and windows, they were a deep purple.

My heart started to pound in my chest with every inch we flew closer to Lord Frieza's ship. If space wasn't so cold, I probably would have started sweating. His ship was at the center, surrounded by much larger ships, one of which seemed impossibly huge, bigger than a city on D'xe, but I couldn't look away from Lord Frieza's ship.

It didn't take anywhere near long enough to reach it, but at the same time, the short minute-long flight seemed to last for three eternities. Eventually, we reached the airlock that cracked open as we approached. Flying inside, I looked at the sealed bulkhead doors as the room pressurized around us. I think it said a lot when none of us removed our masks even as the door before us opened.

Inside was a small yellow alien with a head shaped like a sideways oval, almost as wide as its small shoulders. A pair of antenna rested between its far apart eyes, its wide mouth was stretched into a pleasant smile. It hovered in the air, but it was easy to tell that we were probably the same height.

"Greetings, saiyans," it said, its hands resting behind its back. It wore Frieza-force armor, though a different model than mine. It was a deep green on the shoulder pads, and a small section covered its stomach. It wore some sort of skirt that didn't stretch far enough to cover its green boots. "Lord Frieza has been expecting you."

With a lingering glance on me, or rather my necklace, the alien turned around and started floating down a hall. We followed in silence, the tension nearly unbearable. Each step brought us closer to Lord Frieza, the silence as we walked was deafening. At the end of the hallway, I saw a simple, but large door. I didn't know how I knew, but I could feel Lord Frieza on the other side of that door. Every single hair stood on end like I was being zapped with electricity.

As we approached, the door slid open. The first thing we saw was an alien kneeling on the floor, the sounds of heavy sobs reaching my ears. The alien nearly looked like a saiyan woman, only its skin was a grayish blue marked with weird-looking symbols up its exposed arms, reaching its face all the way up to its solid black eyes.

"I don't know why you're crying, girl," a cold voice casually remarked, sounding more amused than annoyed. "I've kept every promise that I've made so far, have I not?"

The alien tried to control its sobs, wiping tears away as it's bottom lip trembled. It gave a shaky nod, daring to look up as we entered the room. My gaze drifted to where it was looking, seeing the back of a floating chair, the tip of a stark while tail dangling out of it. It was obvious who sat inside it, elevated above everyone else in the control room.

"B-but-" It tried to argue, swiftly looking down at the floor as it knelt with both knees on the ground.

"What did I promise when I arrived at your barren planet?" The voice of one of the most powerful living beings in the galaxy interjected.

A sob wracked the alien's body before it managed to answer. "You promised that you would destroy our cities if we did not give our magic users to you," it answered. It was obvious where this was going.

"And did I keep that promise when you refused?" The voice questioned, knowing the answer.

"Y-you did," the alien sobbed.

"What did I promise you would happen if you tried to escape?" The voice questioned casually, uncaring as the alien broke down in another wave of tears. This time, it took it much longer to answer the question.

"You p-promised that y-you'd kill half of us at random," the alien answered. Judging by the tormented sob that ripped from its throat, I'm guessing something that it cared for didn't survive the decimation.

"And I did exactly that. Such a shame about your mother, I was actually hoping that she would be one of the lucky ones," the voice commented, its- _his _tail flicking back and forth lazily. "My point is that I've kept every single promise I've made to you so far, haven't I?"

The alien swallowed a sharp retort before it nodded slowly, "you have...Lord Frieza."

"Is it asking for too much for you to believe me when I promise you that you'll be reunited with that adorable little sister of yours once your role is done?" Lord Frieza asked, almost sounding wounded by the lack of trust.

The alien visibly steeled itself before answering. "It is not, Lord Frieza. P-please forgive me for my doubts," the alien said, bowing so low its head nearly touched the ground.

Lord Frieza didn't answer in favor of spinning his chair around to face the three of us. His throne blocked the view of his lower half, all except his tail hanging out of the edge. His skin was a stark white, except for black lines that traced his eyes before stretching down over his sharp cheekbones and all the way down it his jaw. His jawline was strong, his chin jutting out stubbornly so it almost looked like it point.

Instead of hair, the top of his head was a glossy purple orb, the same was true for his shoulders with a thinner bar of it that covered the top of his forearm. He was fairly muscular, similar to my and Bardock's builds over ridiculously muscled like some saiyans were.

He...was smaller than I imagined him. I could tell even though he was sitting in a chair that hovered above us.

"One of the first lessons daddy taught me about power was to always keep your promises," Lord Frieza said, his smile just a little too sharp, his eyes dark red eyes practically glowing as he looked down at us. "No matter how small, ridiculous, or difficult - you always have to do exactly as you say. Otherwise, no one will ever take you seriously."

Now that he was looking at us, I...the only thing I could compare it to was a memory I recalled from before the tank. I was in an ocean, some kind of boat next to me. There was no land for as far as the eye could see all around me, in every direction. Then, for no reason, it occurred to me that I had absolutely no idea what was beneath me. That the ocean was miles deep, so dark that the sun's light couldn't penetrate the darkness and I had no idea what was down there.

Meeting Lord Frieza's gaze was a lot like that moment.

"Thank you for the lesson, Lord Frieza," I heard myself say, dropping into a bow. I lowered my head, thumping my fist against my heart.

Lord Frieza let out a small laugh, "hohoho! How very polite of you," he commented and...that laugh...really didn't fit him at all. "A funny thing about you saiyans - I believe you're the first who can call me by my proper title without grimacing Tarble."

I looked up sharply. Somehow it shocked me that he knew my name. He called me up here, but if I had to put it into words, I figured I would be beneath his notice even if I was standing right in front of him.

Then he turned his attention to Bardock, "hello again Bardock. You haven't disappointed at all since the last time we met. Your team has been employees of the year for...ten years now?" Lord Frieza asked with a small chuckle, "and Ginyu was so sure he was going to beat you this year."

Bardock bowed his head similar to how I did a moment before, "you honor me, Lord Frieza."

"Not at all," Frieza dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I simply recognize good work when I see it. Hm...I suppose you are entitled to a reward." Lord Frieza said, his smile a little too sharp to be called friendly. "What would you like Bardock? Another planet? You did use your last reward on a weak planet for your son to purge… Perhaps something for you rather than your family?"

Oh, yeah. I forgot that Bardock had a second son that went on an infiltration mission. When no one said anything about it after a couple of years, I just assumed that he died.

"The only thing I can ask for is more challenging missions, Lord Frieza," Bardock said. It was only because I was so much smaller than him that I saw the grin tugging at the edge of his lips. If I had to describe his expression in a word, it would be satisfied. The same look that he wore when a plan came together and we were victorious.

"Hohoho!" Lord Frieza let out a laugh that came from his stomach, despite how it sounded I think it was a genuine laugh. "And this is why you're my favorite monkey Bardock! I try to give you a reward for your hard work and you ask for more work." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vegeta go very still at that. So still it was like his heart went still in his chest. And...was Lord Frieza ignoring him?

"But, if it's work that you seek…" Lord Frieza smiled at us, "then perhaps a promotion is in order? Ginyu, please come in."

My stomach started to do flips in my stomach. I wasn't just meeting Lord Frieza, but Captain Ginyu as well?!

No sooner than the words left Lord Frieza's mouth, Captain Ginyu appeared. The doors slid open behind us, I looked over just in time to catch a glimpse of a blur rush through the crack. It flipped over us fast enough I felt displaced air rustled my hair, and when I looked back, Captain Ginyu settled into his signature pose - his arms fanned out, the tips of his fingers pointed to the ground while he was crouched down. The only difference was, it wasn't a purple-skinned alien with black horns.

Instead, it was a large alien with stark white skin, except for large black marks that surrounded it's glowing red eyes that fanned out into matching points at its temple. Its hair was long, brushing its shoulders in a wild mane. It was clean-shaven, revealing a confident grin - it almost looked out of place on the fierce-looking body immaculately dressed in a Frieza-force armor. It made the thick spikes emerging from one vambrace, which kept a long chain with a hook on it in place, stand out that much more.

"How can I be of service, Lord Frieza?" Captain Ginyu said, turning to Lord Frieza.

"I wanted your opinion on something," Lord Frieza said, his tail lazily flicking back and forth. "How do you think Bardock would fit in the Ginyu squad?"

Bardock's head snapped to Lord Frieza and I heard Vegeta suck in a sharp breath next to me. I just blinked in surprise as Captain Ginyu gave Bardock a once over, pinching his chiseled chin between his thick fingers as he hummed in thought. Bardock was going to join the Ginyu squad? Wait, but what about our squad? What-

"Hm, the saiyans will make up a significant portion of our forces over the next few years, so it would be nice to have a saiyan for diversity reasons...and I know Bardock does good work despite his power level…" Ginyu said, his mannerisms and his body clashing rather terribly. I couldn't help but wonder who that body once belonged to before Captain Ginyu stole it. Then he nodded, apparently satisfied. "I think Bardock would make an absolutely wonderful addition to the Ginyu squad!"

I looked up at Bardock to see a smirk that all but consumed his face, his gaze not looking at Ginyu but something far off in the distance. "I'll happily join if you accept me, Captain Ginyu," he said, doing another small bow and I head...grinding teeth? I glanced over to see a deadly glare pinned on Bardock from Vegeta. I guess it was because now he couldn't kill him without any consequences anymore.

I still didn't understand the chain of command, but everyone knew that the Ginyu squad was only second to Lord Frieza himself. I also didn't know where Vegeta, or myself for that matter, stood on that chain but I'm guessing by the sound of grinding teeth that he wasn't high enough to kill Bardock. That was.. great, actually.

I'd much rather Bardock be on another team than risk Vegeta killing him at a moment's notice. .

"One thing first!" Captain Ginyu blurted suddenly, getting a look from all of us, Lord Frieza included. "I must see you pose! Posing is quite possibly the most important aspect of being a member of the Ginyu squad! The entire Frieza-force- no, the entire galaxy knows us for our signature poses. I'm afraid that if you can't do that much, then I cannot allow you to join."

I…what?

While I was trying to wrap my head around that, Lord Frieza chuckled lightly as Bardock nodded. He glanced at me for a split second before he nodded at Captain Ginyu. "Fine. What do you want me to do?" He asked, stepping forward.

Captain Ginyu seemed to think for a moment before he nodded to himself, "stand behind me and go like this." He said, T-posing with one leg raised to his waist, his expression deadly serious so I swallowed the laugh that tried to escape me. Vegeta did the same from the sounds of it with a little less success while Lord Frieza watched on, his expression betraying his amusement.

Bardock cocked his head for a moment, his hesitation getting a narrowed eyed glare from Captain Ginyu before he explained. "I don't mind, but with the rest of the squad, wouldn't I be in the center?" He asked, earning a blink from Captain Ginyu followed by a nod.

"You would. Otherwise, Reccome would block sight of you," Captain Ginyu confirmed.

"Then, if I'm in the center people would notice me first, and with your new body they could get the wrong idea that I'm the leader of the squad." Bardock elaborated, sounding as serious as he did when he was laying out a plan to take out an entrenched garrison sitting on antimatter grenades.

Captain Ginyu looked so shocked you'd think Bardock punched him in the gut, "you're right! I didn't think about that at all. I was in my old body for so long, I completely forgot that people wouldn't instantly recognize me. In that case-"

"We," Lord Frieza calmly interrupted, though not sharply. "Seem to have gotten sidetracked. Do you accept Bardock as a member of the Ginyu squad?"

Captain Ginyu gave a firm nod, "I do. We'll have to finalize some things and introduce him to the rest of the squad, but I know they'll welcome you with open arms Bardock! And maybe now we can finally start getting employee of the year now!" He said with a good-natured laugh, smacking Bardock on the shoulder hard enough I'm pretty sure he broke Bardock's arm. Oh, no, he just knocked it out of the socket.

"Excellent, then I suppose that leaves the matter of leadership with your old squad," Lord Frieza pointed out, his gaze drifting to me. "I believe Tarble would be a suitable candidate."

"What?" I blurted before I could stop myself, looking from Lord Frieza to Bardock. Bardock glanced at Lord Frieza first, then at me, his eyes narrowed into a glare. I take it that I wasn't his first pick to fill in his shoes. Which was fair, because I wasn't my first pick to fill his shoes. Tora was clearly the best choice since he was, you know, the vice-captain.

"Ah, modesty," Lord Frieza commented, looking like a cat right before he swallowed the canary whole. "I trait I admire in others, but never found much use for myself." Well...at least he was self-aware? Then he tilted his head slightly like he couldn't quite understand something. I just stared back, caught completely flat-footed by Lord Frieza himself.

Why would anyone think I should be leading a team of mid-class saiyans?

"He's been in a healing pod for the past month, Lord Frieza. I don't think he knows, yet," Bardock explained, earning a puzzled look from me. Then I glanced at Vegeta, who hadn't said a word so far, only to see a scowl so entrenched on his face I was half certain he was stuck looking like that.

"Know what?" I asked, making Lord Frieza nod to himself. Then his throne began to drift down from the platform he was on, my heart trying to lurch out of my mouth when I realized he was coming towards me.

"Ah, I see. You see Tarble, you've become rather famous while you were asleep," Lord Frieza explained, a jewel lighting up in his throne to reveal a hologram of...me? Yeah, it was me. It was a little hard to tell with all the blood and dust over me. The hologram showed me prepping an attack, the Spiral Buster, before it slammed into Kaylark's shield then killing her.

"That video has been making the rounds across the galaxy. Everyone loves watching Green Lanterns die, after all," Lord Frieza said with a small chuckle. "You already had considerable fame before that - the low-class prince! So determined that he got himself beaten to death every day for months, destroyer of Rockoroad at three months old, and his battle power grows by leaps and bounds! From low-class to elite-class! Some have even started calling you the Legendary Super Saiyan."

"I…" I was famous? I mean, some saiyans knew me, but I figured they were mocking me. But… "I'm not the Legendary Super Saiyan," I denied with a shake of my head. I could picture what a Super Saiyan looked like - a golden aura, turquoise eyes and the strength to shake a planet apart with its presence. That wasn't me. Not even close.

"I see," Lord Frieza said, sounding pleased. "Though, the point still stands. Now the galaxy knows you've killed a Green Lantern. You, Tarble, have become a very important mascot for my company. When people think of Saiyans, they aren't going to think of Bardock or your king. They're going to remember the boy saiyan that struck down a Green Lantern. They're going to think of you, Tarble."

Lord Frieza chuckled again, "and I wish to use that influence. I've lifted the population cap on your race. From three thousand to three million now that this generation is out of your gestation tanks. In another three years, that number could be three billion. Or more. The saiyan race will one day make up a considerable portion of my army, and I want you to be their face."

I swallowed thickly, trying to wrap my head around what he was saying. Me? The face of the saiyan race? That was...flat out insane. But...he…wanted me to be like Bardock. Despite only having a power level below 5000, Bardock was the employee of the year for years. When people thought of saiyans, they thought of him. Lord Frieza wanted me to fill in his shoes in every single way.

He wanted me to become employee of the year. He wanted me to become a leader that could win against impossible odds every single time. He wanted me to be Bardock.

"I...I won't let you down, Lord Frieza!" I stated, snapping off a salute as I felt an incredibly heavy weight settle on my shoulders. The burden of leadership. I stole a glance at Bardock to see he wore a neutral expression, but when he caught my look he gave me a small nod. I couldn't believe I had his approval for leadership, especially when Tora was his best friend, but I think he was glad I was taking this seriously.

And I was taking this seriously. If what Vegeta told me was true, then this war was really starting to ramp up. The battle for Sereall was going to be a bloodbath, and I was going to be leading B- my team into that meat grinder. Just like Bardock, I was going to have to make sure that we all came out of it alive.

"Polite, modest and earnest. If you keep it up Tarble, you might change my opinion on you monkeys," Lord Frieza said, his throne drifting back over to the alien that still rested on the floor. I managed to stifle a twitch at the racial slur, but Vegeta let out a huff that was nearly lost to the sound of him grinding his teeth. "Get up girl. With that business out of the way, I believe it's time for you to do your part."

He hadn't said anything to Vegeta at all, I noticed. Why call him up here if he was going to ignore him?

As the alien scrambled to its feet, Lord Frieza turned to us. "Join me on the observation deck. We're about to depart," he informed, flying over to the platform he resided on before. Captain Ginyu walked towards him, stepping up the platforms. Bardock followed a second later, with me following Bardock. He slowed just enough to place a hand on my shoulder to give it a firm squeeze, his expression deadly serious.

I nodded at him, confirming that I was going to take care of the squad. No matter what, I wouldn't let any of them die.

Once we were all on the platform, the alien girl included, we began to rise under the effect of some kind of gravity well. The observation deck proved to be an energy shield similar to the ones back on planet D'xe. Looking around, I saw...oh. That was a lot of ships.

Before, I only caught a small glimpse of how many ships we had in this grand fleet. There just weren't thousands, but tens of thousands. They seemed to stretch on for as far as the eye could see, the smaller ones hanging in lower orbit while the capital ships hung above. I didn't know much about ships, but I could recognize some classes - capital ships, transports, cruisers and dreadnaughts. If we had even a fifth, no a tenth of this kind of firepower on D'xe, we would have taken it in a day. Or less.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Lord Frieza asked, catching my naked amazement. "I've had our shipyards working tirelessly for years now. We have an additional twenty fleets, and this will be some of their maiden voyage." I could believe that, easily.

"Some?" I asked, sweeping my gaze over an incredibly large spaceship. It was shaped like an arrowhead that must be a mile long at least.

"Three additional fleets, while the rest are being sent to reinforce the other fronts. Oh, and I did give one to my older brother as a gift," Lord Frieza said, laughing at a joke that only he knew. I didn't try to understand as I struggled to wrap my head around that. We had...thirteen fleets here? How big was this army? It had to number in the tens of millions at this point. Maybe a hundred million.

"Wow," I said, more or less summing up my thoughts. That weight that settled on my shoulders seemed to get that much heavier. This battle...wasn't going to be anything that I had ever experienced before. The sheer scale of it was absolutely unreal. I was seeing it with my own two eyes but I barely believed it.

"Now, girl, I believe it's time," Lord Frieza said, bringing our attention to the alien. It looked over us, its eyes lingering on me before it nodded. It turned towards the empty space before us, spreading its hands out wide as it began to chant in a language I didn't know. Wisps of green smoke began to emerge from its hands as its chanting grew louder. The louder it chanted, the more wisps of green smoke emerged until it was glowing with it. Then it was shining with a bright green glow.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see other glowing lights coming from other ships. I would have looked, but there was something happening in the distance. A green flame floating despite all logic, flickering there for a moment then it began to expand. Only it didn't get bigger. Like taking a match to the center of a piece of paper, the flame spread outwards rapidly. For a moment, I was confused about what exactly was happening.

Then, once the flame spread far enough, I saw a planet. A planet that made of metal - any trace of green or oceans were stripped away in the name of progress. Even so far away, I could see the systematic lines of districts, the planet several shades of chrome. However, the planet Sereall didn't hold my attention for long.

Hovering in orbit around it wasn't one defense platform. There weren't two either. There wasn't even ten. There were twenty of them arranged in circles in defensive positions. Supporting it was the Reach's grand fleet. It wasn't as numerous as our own, but that didn't make it any less impressive.

There were thousands of ships arranged in defensive positions. The larger ones served front and center, dominating the formation while hundreds of smaller ships surrounded them to serve as support. At the very center of the formation was the biggest flagship I've seen in the past four years of war. The arrowhead-shaped ship had nothing on it. It was the shape of a scarab, but it was big enough that you could fit two of them inside.

It seemed that it wasn't a one-way view, because they began to shuffle ever so slightly. A golden light around Sereall began to form - a shield. They had a shield that covered the entire planet. They had to be pretty confident that it would hold if they went out of their way to make sure that a sizable planet was completely covered. Not just covered, but even from so far away I could see that the shield was layered.

And we thought the mountain was going to be a tough nut to crack.

The green flame continued to spread outwards, the alien girl visibly struggling with exertion. Lord Frieza spared it a look before he spoke a single word.

"Advance."

Every single ship moved in unison, like a wall of artillery. The only thing I could hear as we moved through the portal was my heartbeat thundering in my ears. The flames stretched over miles, letting the entire grand fleet fly through at once. We continued to sail forward, the only sound in the observation deck was the aliens labored breathing, struggling to maintain the spell.

As we drew near, I saw things floating between us and the Reach armada. Mines. They were going to bleed us for every inch. I saw countless pricks of light that could only be their weapons going hot, but they didn't fire. Either we were out of range, or they were waiting for some unspoken signal.

"Stop."

As Lord Frieza gave the order, the grand fleet came to a halt, all of us having cleared the portal. No sooner as he gave the order, the alien girl collapsed in a heap, out cold. I couldn't bring myself to look away from our opponents to see the portal collapsing behind us. Our escape was cut off.

"Kikono, please bring up some oxygen masks and retrieve...whatever her name is," Lord Frieza ordered, breaking the oppressive silence. I barely noticed as the yellow alien from before put a mask in my hands, or that I put it on my face as it retrieved the unconscious alien. My mind was stuck on one thought.

This was unreal. This battle...I couldn't begin to imagine the sheer scale of what I was looking at. This..this had to be the biggest battle the galaxy had ever seen, right? Tens of thousands of ships, on both sides, defense platforms and...between the smaller ships were scarabs. Thousands of them, more than I had ever seen before.

Vanguard scarabs enhanced with silver scarabs. In the distance, I saw my first special class scarab. Its chest armor was a deep purple, the same shade as Lord Frieza, though it was trimmed with silver. An enhanced special class scarab. I wasn't close enough to scan it either, but I probably shouldn't in the first place. With this much force, my scouter would probably blow up.

I...had to lead my team through this? Was that even possible? And this was the battle for control of space, what was the ground battles going to look like? How many scarabs did they have planetside?

"Please lower the barrier," Lord Frieza ordered his tone calm. Smug almost. Instantly, the barrier dropped, exposing us to the vacuum of space. A small movement caught my eye and, somehow, I managed to bring myself to look at something other than our enemies.

I saw Lord Frieza raise a hand, a single finger outstretched. At the tip of it, a dark purple ball of ki formed, no bigger than the beads that made up my necklace. Black lightning crackled around it for a moment, it grew bigger for a split second. I glanced back at what he was aiming at just in time to see a thin purple beam rush towards the Reach's armada.

Lord Frieza swiped his hand to the side, the beam of light following the movement until it drew a line through the Reach defenses.

Then there was light.

There were no fiery explosions in space, but that didn't detract from the sight at all. Balls of light formed around where Lord Frieza fired off his nameless ki attack, Ships exploding with enough force that they caused a chain reaction. The explosions spread, far further than they should have, until the Reach armada was left decimated. With a single movement, he cut their numbers down to a tenth.

But that wasn't what made my jaw drop and my blood turned to ice in my veins.

Once the light show was over, the space around Sereall littered with debris only did it become clear that Lord Frieza hadn't just hit their ships and defense platforms. He had hit the planet itself. The golden shield was down, unable to withstand Lord Frieza's might, but the same could be said for the planet as well.

Where Lord Frieza's attack touched, the metal planet glowed at the edges where it began to slowly drift apart.

Lord Frieza had cut Sereall in half.

"Well then. I think that'll do for my debut," Lord Frieza said, laughing loudly as Sereall and the defenses meant to protect it fell apart.

* * *

This chapter is one of the scenes that inspired me to write this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	16. Smell of Home

"I agree wholeheartedly, Lord Frieza!" Captain Ginyu exclaimed, but his voice was distant even as it rang out in my ear. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the awe-inspiring display of power. Planet Sereall drifted apart, neatly cut in half as what remained of the defensive fleet struggled to recover from what just happened. I couldn't blame them - I couldn't imagine how they were feeling after getting hit like that out of nowhere.

"But there's so much left," Lord Frieza noted casually, his attention focused on the ships left. A mere fraction of what protected the planet before. A few hundred ships out of the thousands before. The defensive platforms were gone, destroyed by either Lord Frieza, the ensuing explosions or when a half of the planet hit them. What was meant to be one of the most vicious and costly battles this galaxy had ever seen was reduced to a cakewalk. Mopping up what was left after the opening salvo. The Reach wasn't able to fire off a single shot before their crushing defeat.

Lord Frieza let out a small discontent sigh, "perhaps I should have powered up a bit more? I wanted it to look effortless for the cameras, but if they see just how much is left over…" effortless. That word rang around in my skull like a bell. Effortless. Destroying a planet, wiping out entire fleets and armies by lifting his finger...it was effortless to him.

"I don't think they'll notice what is left, Lord Frieza," I heard myself say, unable to look away from the wreckage. Like a wake in the ocean, I could see exactly where Lord Frieza's attack went. "I...what I see when I look at this is…" I didn't have words. I could stand here for a thousand years and I wouldn't be able to come close to describing what I saw first hand. "What I see is proof that you have no equals. I-I can't imagine anyone ever being stronger than you."

Lord Frieza let out a deep laugh, "flattery is so much better when you know it's spoken with honesty." He said, sounding pleased. "Regardless, Blueberry, would you please be so kind to tell the fleet to mop up what's left? We can just edit the video to make it look like I got them all at once." Whoever he was speaking to must have gave him a response because he smiled as he leaned back into his chair.

Not a moment later the fleet began to move out. Frieza's ship stayed where it was, letting the formation of thousands of ships wash over us. The advance was almost seamless, the formation perfectly organized despite the incredible size of it. Flagships spearheaded the formation, capital ships and assault ships protecting their flanks and serving as back-up. As I watched, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of drones fighters were being released from the carriers.

The Reach realized what was happening, and whoever was in charge seemed to have a good head on their shoulders, unfortunately. Instead of trying to go down in a blaze of glory, the one remaining flagship of their ragtag fleet angled away. The others followed its example, quickly turning away before they seemed to stretch like a rubber band. When the back snapped to the front, the fleet was gone.

"Cowards," Vegeta spat, speaking up for the first time since we arrived on Frieza's ship. His arms were crossed, but even his tone betrayed the astonishment he still felt. It was impossible to shake off the awe that everyone here felt at such overwhelming power. I knew that was true for me. A planet had been cut in half.

"Don't judge them too harshly, Vegeta," Captain Ginyu chided. "It's to be expected that anyone would flee from Lord Frieza! Look at it this way - now we get the pleasure of hunting them down!"

"Well said, Ginyu," Lord Frieza said. "Now we begin the fun part. Blueberry, begin the plan." Lord Frieza ordered and, within a few seconds, I saw several ships began to break off from the formation getting some distance before they jumped off into hyperspace. that...I didn't even think about that. Sereall was a shield world meant to protect the Reach's soft underbelly. It was hardly the only one, but it was the first to fall.

I recalled that map of known Reach planets that King Vegeta had shown me years ago. They worked almost as a honeycomb, protecting the insides of them from harm, but once you breached one, there was an entire pocket of unprotected planets. Depending on clusters, that could be hundreds of planets. Or more.

And we just busted through a shield world without using any strength. The Frieza-force was going to spread out, claiming planets with ease until we hit another shield world. It would be a flat out lie to call the Reach's military broken by this defeat, but we had them on the backfoot now, more so that I could have imagined.

"Ginyu," Lord Frieza said, glancing at the large stark white alien, "I want your team headhunting. You have your list of targets."

"We'll depart at once!" Captain Ginyu proclaimed, snapping off a picture-perfect salute that looked so at odds with his appearance. "Bardock! Fall in line, there's work to be done!" Captain Ginyu started to walk towards the door, making Bardock stiffen.

Bardock looked down at me, most of his face hidden behind a featureless black mask. Slowly, he placed a hand on the top of my head, "take care of the team for me." He ordered- requested.

"I will," I confirmed as seriously as I could. I...was team leader now. I was responsible for Tora, Fasha, Shugesh and Brogo's lives now. Bardock must have seen how serious I was taking the responsibility because he patted me on the head once before retracting his hand. He started to move to follow Captain Ginyu, I watched him walk away. "Bardock? Don't die."

I heard him laugh through the scouter, "I won't." He said without looking back, jumping off the ship to follow Captain Ginyu as they left Frieza's ship behind. I watched him fly away, feeling...tense, for lack of a better word. I...don't know if I was ever going to see him again.

"How touching," Lord Frieza said, sounding more than a little amused. That made me realize that we were still on open coms. I glanced over at Vegeta to see him glaring at me, forcing me to quickly look away. Just because he and Bardock didn't like each other didn't mean I had to hate him too. "But, that brings me to you, Tarble. Your squad is being resigned."

I stood at attention as Lord Frieza continued. "Your squad is being assigned to a General Teach," Lord Frieza said, getting a blink of surprise from me. Teach, as in my mother? She was a general? "Gather up your team and head to these coordinates-" A ship was marked on my scouter. "-and do be quick about it. You're about to get very busy."

"At once, Lord Frieza," I said, trying to copy Captain Ginyu's perfect salute. I heard him chuckle before I turned towards the ship, recognizing the dismissal that it was. I turned towards Vegeta to see that he wasn't glaring at me anymore at least.

I held out a fist. Vegeta looked down at it, curious, but he seemed to understand what to do. He tapped his fist against mine, giving me a small nod.

"Don't die, little brother." He said lowly. I found myself smirking at the familiar words.

"I won't," I told him, making a promise to him, to myself and to Lord Frieza. He wanted me to become the face of the Saiyan race. I couldn't do that if I was dead.

"Good luck," Lord Frieza said as I went to leave the ship. He waved goodbye, a small grin on his face. "I expect great things from you Tarble. Don't let me down." I could practically feel his expectations weighing down on me as I based jumped off then ship.

"I won't let you down," I swore, and, with that, I blasted off towards the new ship that would serve as our transport since Leek was gone. Letting out a low breath, I glanced back at Vegeta to see that he was staying with Lord Frieza as the platform slowly lowered until they were gone from view.

It took a second to gather my thoughts - it felt like everything had changed in the span of a few minutes. I steeled myself, bracing for a lot of questions that I didn't have the answer to before I hit my coms button. "Everyone, meet me at this location. We've been reassigned," I said in my most authoritative voice.

"Sure thing, but did you see what Frieza did?" Tora asked, sounding like he was in the middle of stuffing his face. A half dozen things nearly jumped out of my mouth, torn between gushing about what I saw and blurting out that I was team captain now. I had absolutely no idea how he would take it. Tora was vice-captain for years, I couldn't imagine that he would just be okay with me jumping over him like that. Even if Lord Frieza gave the order himself.

"Yeah, I did," I confirmed, "I'll tell you all about it when we get on the ship. We have to hurry up before they leave us behind." I said, killing the mike and letting out a breath. Alright, what did I say when they showed up? How would Bardock break the news that he was in charge now when he was eight-...four years old.

There was no easy way to break the news, was there? No point in thinking about it anymore, all I could do now was to be blunt.

I flew towards the fleet, approaching an airlock on the flagship. The Flagship was one liberated from an alien species. They looked...a lot like what I imagined a Saiyan spaceship would look like if we built our own. A giant brick with guns slapped on every possible angle, and instead of floaters, it had giant thrusters on the back.

The airlock slid open, letting me step inside before it decompressed and I could enter the ship properly. Inside was a furry alien that was hunched over, it used its second pair of arms underneath the first set as another pair of legs. "Greetings," it said in a heavily modulated voice. "Welcome. Follow."

"I'll wait here for my team," I dismissed, updating my current location for my team. The furry thing shifted its oversized fists on the ground from its second pair of arms, displeased with that.

"Follow. General. Order." It said, the modular voice unable to convey it, but I'm guessing it was pissed. Slowly, I took off my mask and tossed it to the side and faced the alien. I've never seen one of its kind, so out of curiosity, I tapped down on my scouter. 8000.

"I'm staying here," I stated forcefully, crossing my arms. Again, it shifted, frustrated by refusal. This time, it huffed in annoyance, thumping the metal floors hard enough that its fists formed a dent.

"Saiyan. Follow. Now. Order." It snapped at me. I couldn't hear the tone, but its body language screamed that it wasn't a request at this point. I felt the familiar feeling of my blood surging through my veins, carrying a current of electricity through me that made every hair stand on end. There was only one word that could describe it: excitement.

Fighting scarabs...well...it got old, after a while. And this alien here was almost as strong as me.

"No," I said, unable to stop the small grin tugging at my lips. "I don't think I will."

It's upper arm lashed out at me in a blur, but I had all the time in the world to dodge it. Sidestepping the punch, I darted forward as I aimed for center mass. Delivering a punch to its sternum, it's Frieza-force armor cracked like glass before the alien shot backward. It slowed itself, using it's extra set of arms and legs tear a long line down the hallway before it came to a stop some distance away.

"Kar'slag. Will. Enjoy. This." It bit out, straightening as it lowered a hand that covered where I struck. My knuckles throbbed as I strode towards it. Kar'slag seemed to be made of sterner stuff than I expected. Underneath the broken armor, there was no sign of any damage.

"Not as much as I will. I have some time until my team arrives, so you have a couple more minutes to live. I suggest you make the most of them," I said, walking towards it. Another thing that scarabs failed at. Unless they were new, they couldn't banter at all. In my spars with the team, trash-talking was half the fun.

"No. Great. Monkey. For. Saiyan," it pointed out as it moved to meet me halfway. When we neared, it pushed itself onto its legs, standing tall as it lashed out with it's larger underarms. A fist the size of my head rushed towards me, but it was slow. So slow. Did he really have a power level of 8000? I could have dodged that attack before my latest power jump.

Ducking under it with ease, I spun out of the way of another punch from its upper arm as I leaped towards its head. Rearing back, I slammed my fist into the side of its head. It's body jerked to the side, punching through the first door on the airlock and warping the outer door enough that the seam cracked open ever so slightly. Instantly, the brightly lit hallway was plunged into a deep red as air began to escape through the crack.

Kar'slag made a low growling sound as it pushed itself off the door, making the crack that much bigger. Again, it showed no damage from the punch or being exposed to the vacuum of space.

"Ah, so you're one of those types," I realized, feeling cheated. A scouter picked up battle power but not all battle power was created equal. Just because it had a pl of 8000 didn't mean that it could fly, shoot ki blasts or anything of that nature. As it approached, the rushing wind that was rapidly dwindling as the hallway was sealed off, I realized what that 8000 PL was coming from. Durability.

It was slow. It was strong, probably. I couldn't tell if it was able to shoot ki blasts since I doubt it would for the same reasons I wasn't - I didn't want to blow up the ship. Even still, all it had going for it was that it could take a punch. Blaster shots probably wouldn't do much to it, plasma might singe its fur, but that was it.

"What a letdown," I mused, darting forward, moving at speeds that I doubt it could even see before I slammed my knee into its face. It shot backward, hitting the airlock doors hard enough that they bent outwards completely. The alien flailed around for a moment, trying to guide itself back in, but it was too late. I stared at it for a moment, tilting my head as I watched its upper hands go to its neck as it began to suffocate. Then, with a sigh, I flew forward and grabbed the alien by the scruff of its neck.

"Welcoming party?" Tora observed, one eyebrow raised as the rest of the team followed me back into the ship.

"Not the fun kind," I said, approaching one of the bulkhead doors. Dropping the suffocating alien, I grabbed the seal of the door and forced it open. Air rushed out, nearly knocking the dying alien away, but once everyone was clear, I let the door close. In an instant, the air went still and the large alien dropped to the floor in a heap, sinking down air greedily.

Tora looked down at me for a moment while Shugesh and Borgos started poking at the alien. He took off his mask to show a serious expression that told me what he was going to say next before he could form the words. "Tarble, where is Bardock?"

The question was nearly lost underneath the blaring warning that blasted over the intercom, but I heard it all the same. Fasha leveled a look at me while Shugesh and Borgos stopped poking the alien as it finally got some air back into its lungs.

"Did Frieza kill him?" Fasha questioned, her expression promising a bloody response if that was the case. I was quick to shake my head, putting that idea out of her mind. The last thing I needed right now was the team flying off to attack Lord Frieza in a stupid attempt of vengeance.

"No, Bardock is alive...he's just…" I trailed off, knowing that there was no easy way to say this. "He's not on the team anymore. He's apart of the Ginyu squad now." I explained, making Tora's eyes go wide before he and Fasha shared a pointed look.

"Bardock is apart of the Ginyu squad? Really? How'd that happen?" Shugesh questioned, frowning at me.

I gave a small shrug, "It was Lord Frieza's idea. He tried to reward Bardock for being the employee of the year for a bunch of years, and Bardock asked for more work. Lord Frieza laughed then called in Captain Ginyu - did you know he's a huge chalky white saiyan-like alien now? - they talked about posing for a little bit, then Captain Ginyu accepted him on the team."

Tora's serious expression deepened while Fasha let out a small sigh as she scratched at the side of her head. "Well, I guess we should be happy for him. At least we won't have to worry about the prince trying to execute him every time they're in the same room," Fasha commented.

"I bet he's going to have some pretty good fights coming his way. The Ginyu squad are high-risk targets only." Shugesh muttered, looking up at the speaker when the alarm finally turned off. Then he turned his attention to Tora, punching him in the shoulder with a grin on his face. "Congrats on the promotion, captain Tora."

Right. This got a thousand times more awkward. Thanks, Shugesh.

"Actually," I interjected, my voice sounding impossibly loud in the silent hallways. The team turned their gaze to me, the rest of them about to congratulate Tora for his promotion that wasn't coming. A promotion that was stolen from him. "Lord Frieza put me in charge of the team. I'm the captain now."

There really weren't words to describe the next few seconds of pure awkwardness. Tora stared down at me, Shugesh paused mid punch with a grin frozen on his face. Fasha couldn't look more shocked if revealed that I had a scarab attached to my back. Borgos...was in the back doing his own thing as he continued to poke at the recovering alien.

"Uhhh," Tora was the first to break the horribly awkward silence, sharing another glance with Fasha. "Tarble, I'm not sure…"

"Lord Frieza wants me to be the face of the Saiyan race," I blurted as Tora trailed off. "He wants me to be like Bardock - whenever people think of Saiyans, he wants them to think of me first. So...we're going to be going on a lot of mission. Like, a lot of missions." Most of those missions were going to be high risk. We won't just be on the frontlines, we'll be spearheading the frontlines.

"But…" I trailed off, looking up at Tora and Fasha's grave expressions. "I'm going to need your help to make sure that we all survive. The war...after seeing Lord Frieza destroy a planet and entire fleets with a flick of the wrist...the Reach is going to get desperate. They're going to pull out all the stops. This war was just kicked up a dozen notches."

I turned my attention to Fasha, then Shugesh, the Borgos, "if we're going to survive this war, then we need to work together." I finished lamely, hearing Tora blow out a small breath as he looked away, running a hand through his short hair.

Fasha offered me a half-smirk as she took a step over, placing a hand on top of my head much like Bardock had done earlier. "Well, can't argue with Lord Frieza, little Super Saiyan." She said, her voice a little tight as she goodnaturedly messed with my hair. I couldn't see Tora's expression, but I did see him cross his arms.

"We can talk about this later," Tora said, his tone flat enough that it told me everything I needed to know about how he was feeling about this. "Let's just meet up with our new command and get settled in." Tora...ordered before he started walking down the hallway. Fasha moved after him, letting go of the top of my head.

Shugesh gave me a pat as he walked by while Borgo stayed behind with me for a few moments. I looked over at him to see that he was looking at me. I could never tell what the stoic saiyan was thinking most of the time, and this was no exception. After a few seconds, he offered me a small nod before he started walking.

That...went about as well as I thought it would. Who in their right mind wanted to be lead by a child? Maybe if I was in charge of a new squad, but the team knew me for pretty much my entire life.

"This is going to suck," I concluded, sparing the fallen alien one last glance before I started following the team that I was supposed to lead.

* * *

Eventually, we made our way to the command center after a long while. And getting directions from a passing by alien. Since our new commanding officer wasn't trying to get in touch with us through our scouters, I'm guessing that our presence wasn't urgently needed. All the while I pondered just how exactly I was supposed to start leading the team when...well, they didn't want me to.

When we arrived, it didn't take long to spot our new general. Queen Teach commanded attention as she held an alien by the throat, lifting the small creature a few feet off the ground as she prepared a ki attack with one hand. I could only see her back, but she seemed unchanged since the last time I saw her.

"I'm not sure you understand how things work here, admiral. I tell you where to fly the ship. You fly the ship there. That's it. No backtalk, or questions. You do exactly what I say when I say it, and the only time you can ignore my orders is when Frieza himself tells you otherwise," she snarled, holding up some kind of teddy bear looking alien.

"B-but-" it squeaked in an admittedly adorable voice, only to be cut off when Queen Teach shook the alien hard enough that it's white cloak that marked it as an admiral fell to the floor.

"What did I just say about arguing?" Queen Teach asked, sounding more exasperated than angry. "Let's try this again. I want the next words out of your mouth to be 'yes ma'am, we'll set course for Rench.' Is that clear?"

The teddy bear looking alien swallowed thickly, making a choking sound as its little legs kicked out, hitting empty air. It looked over at us, somehow finding my gaze despite being surrounded by much larger saiyans. Its eyes went so wide they could have fallen out of its head, its face morphing into an expression of pure panic.

"M-more Saiyans?!" It cried with so much despair that it was almost funny. That made Queen Teach turn around to face us-

I blinked, realizing that something about her had changed. Her face was still the same, her tank top armor revealing muscled arms while her navy blue under armor clung to her legs. The white armor that was emblazoned with the royal families crest over her heart - all of it was nearly identical to the last time I saw her back on planet Vegeta on her throne. It was all the same except for one thing.

"Uh, did you eat too much?" I questioned, looking at the small bump on her stomach. It wasn't really big, but it was definitely noticeable.

"Nah, I'm...what's the words again? Hey, admiral, what's the word when you're carrying a kid inside of you instead of a gestation tank?" Queen Teach asked the admiral still in her grip. I blinked slowly at that, not sure what she was talking about. A kid...what?

"Pregnant! You're pregnant!" The admiral wailed trying to escape her grip. It threw its head back and let out a small cry as it tugged at her hand that was firmly latched around its throat.

"Right. That. I'm pregnant," Queen Teach informed as she walked over to me. Tora failed to get out of the way fast enough, so she tossed the admiral at him hard enough that Tora stumbled back a step. She was pregnant? Like, actually pregnant? Why? Why would she be carrying a child when she could have the fertilized egg gestation in a tank?

"I gotta admit," Queen Teach said, reaching down and picking me up so that I was eye level with her. I just stared at her with wide eyes, unsure what in the hell was happening right now. "When I first saw you right out of the tank, I'd figure I'd never see you again. Vegeta - the big one - he was going to shoot you off at some planet. Then, when he put you in that room to fight saibamen, I gave you a week at best before you got yourself killed."

She smiled ever so slightly, clocking her head as her eyes seemed to look at me like she was seeing me for the first time. "But you survived it. You came out of that room stronger than any kid your age had any right to be. Then you went to Rockoroad - a suicide mission for a squad of mid-classes, and you didn't just survive it, but you won glory there."

Uh...this...was...kinda weirding me out. Just a little bit. I couldn't bring myself to look away as her smile grew.

"Now, you've killed a Green Lantern," she finished before she brought me in. She wrapped her arms around me so I was pressed against her chest, her cheek pressed against mine. Queen Teach let out a content breath as I shot a panicked look over at Tora, wondering what in the hell was going on. This was the same woman who had completely written me off back when I got out of the tank, who hadn't been bothered by the idea of me dying at all?

Tora just gave me a helpless shrug in response, looking just as bewildered as I felt. Fasha just gave a shrug, while Shugesh and Borgos were out of view. This was beyond weird. She was...hugging me. I wasn't a member of the royal family yet - did Vegeta not tell her that I refused the offer? I don't think she knew.

Oh. And here I thought the most awkward moment of the day was telling my team that a toddler was now leading them into battle.

"I'm so proud of you my little Super Saiyan," Queen Teach muttered into my ear. If I could bring myself to say that I wasn't acknowledged as her son yet, then I couldn't now. Every thought in my head came to a screeching halt, blue-screening as I felt her hug me even tighter until the plating of my armor threatened to crack.

"G-general T-Teach," the stuffed animal admiral spoke up after a moment, fear clear in its voice. Queen Teach turned on the small alien, wherever she looked, I saw an alien flinch and look away. Since Queen Teach was holding me so tight, I couldn't look around to see the expression on the admirals face, but I could see the amused expressions of my team. This was...fantastic.

So, not only was I a child to them but a mama's boy as well. Just...great…

"Queen General Teach, to you," Queen Teach snapped at the admiral, her voice a lot harsher than it was just a second ago. "And you have your orders, admiral. Plot the course for planet Rench. I'm not going to ask again."

"We can't!" The admiral suicidally argued back, "Rench is the most fortified system in this sector! That was before the remainder of the armada went there! We don't have the strength to take it, much less hold it! We'll be surrounded on all sides if they block our FTL transport."

I frowned in thought, piecing together thinking through what I was hearing. The upper brass of the Frieza-force didn't tend to be cowards, but the stuffed animal seemed pretty panicked about the idea of going to Rench. That much was obvious, but the biggest question was why Queen Teach wanted to go there so badly.

I made eye contact with Tora, to see him watching the exchange with a bored expression until he met my gaze. He broke eye contact first, glancing at Shugesh - I could only imagine what he was thinking when he saw me like this, being held in my mother's arms like a baby. This...I needed to show him that I was serious about this. I needed to show my entire team that I wasn't some kid.

I needed to show them that I was a leader. A leader...that was...being carried in his mother's arms.

Fuck.

"What's on Rench?" I asked, gently pushing away from Queen Teach, but her grip was firm. She gave me enough room that I could join the conversation, but she still held me. I glanced at her, trying to carry myself with an authoritative air that Bardock managed so easily, but I think my efforts were undercut when Queen Teach pinched one of my cheeks.

"Rench is one of the Reach's major manufacturing planets," Queen Teach explained as she began to gently rock back and forth, her tone going back to a soft, gentle tone as she spoke to me. "And their nearest shipyard - that fleet is probably docked there to get patched up and to regroup."

"Exactly!" The stuffed animal cried, "it's deep inside Reach controlled space! We won't have any backup, and what was left of their fleet was untouched! They outnumber us without attacking one of the most fortified planets in this sector!" It cried, making a good argument, but it sounded hollow when its voice was filled with so much fear.

I frowned in thought, mulling that over. "How major of a manufacturer are we talking about?" The Reach had entire planets dedicated to the sole purpose of making stuff. Weapons, tanks, robots, scarabs, and ships. Anything and everything that the Reach needed to wage war. I could barely picture it - a machine world that's sole purpose was to make instruments of war.

"It supplied nearly fifteen percent of war materials for this front alone," Queen Teach...cooed, smiling at me as she supplied my answer. That didn't sound like a lot, but each front was absolutely massive. Hundreds of worlds, supplying munitions for tens of millions of soldiers, if not hundreds of millions. Fifteen percent of that was a lot, no matter how you looked at it.

That was a prize too good to pass up. "We should hit it," I spoke up, backing Queen Teach. "The Reach couldn't have expected us to get passed Sereall untouched, so they're going to be reeling from the losses they suffered here. They're on the back foot. Hitting one of the biggest manufacturers for this front is going to hamstring them."

It would force more stress onto other manufacturing planets, and I knew first hand how much being out of supplies sucked when I spent a few years behind enemy lines. Only the lack of supplies would affect tens of millions - soldiers wouldn't have ammo, or transportation, or have parts to repair anything. Destroying Rench would cause a shortage for the entire front, and that was too tempting.

"I knew you'd see it my way, my little Super Saiyan!" Queen Teach...squealed...as she hugged me so tight I'm pretty sure I busted a rub. I paid that no mind in favor of staring down the admiral. It was already shaking its head, frustrated that I didn't agree with it.

"As you said, Rench is deep inside their controlled space. The very last thing they're going to expect is for us to jump to it and kick their shit in again. Their guard will be down - if we're lucky, we can take out their feet during repairs, or when they're out of formation in a surprise attack." This was the very best time to do it. When they were at their weakest, and we were at our strongest.

I saw the admiral shift at that, logic working much better than threats, so I continued. "And we don't have to take it. If we wreck it enough to halt production, even for a little while, that's good for the war effort. If that fleet really is the last major one in this sector, then the rest of the planets will fall easily."

It shifted, clearly mulling over my explanation. I think it was warming up to the idea, seeing the advantages I pointed out in a bold sneak attack. All the while Queen Teach made...noises...at me before she got fed up with waiting. With a hand, she fired off a ki blast that punched through the holodeck, just above the admirals head.

"Just do it before I aim a little lower," Queen Teach threatened in the same voice she used towards me, not even looking at the admiral. That seemed to do the trick, though because the admiral started to shake like a leaf as it nodded so quickly I thought it was going to give itself whiplash.

"A-at once, Queen General Teach," it stammered out before giving out the order to plot a course for Rench. It left the deck, pretending like it had to be on the other side of the room to do it, but everyone knew it was just avoiding Queen Teach.

"Finally," Queen Teach breathed a note of frustration in her voice a moment before her scouter beeped. I glanced at her to see a message had appeared on her scouter, earning a small, annoyed huff out of her. "And now I have to go make sure this kid in me isn't dying, or something." She announced, which brought my attention back to the fact that Queen Teach was pregnant.

Like, pregnant. Why would she be pregnant when she could have tossed the fertilized egg into a gestation tank?

"Matillo!" Queen Teach yelled, making a large Saiyan appear out of thin air. Looking over, I saw it was a giant saiyan that was well out of his prime. His face was lined with wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, while the top of his head was bare except for a large X shaped scar on his scalp. Still, I knew exactly who this was. Matillo, a mid-class saiyan, but not just any mid-class.

The man before me was at the very least a hundred years old, but the few history lessons downloaded into my brain suggested that he was much older. Much, much, much older...because there had been a Matillo back when King Vegeta the First defeated the truffles three hundred years ago. I don't know if he was the same one, but the large saiyan in front of me seemed absolutely ancient.

"My Queen," Matillo drawled, looking down at me with flat black eyes. Queen Teach pushed me towards him, earning a blink of surprise from me as the possibly ancient Saiyan took me.

"I'm assigning Table's squad to your platoon. Take care of him for me," she informed before she reached out and pinched my cheek again. "And we'll catch up later, okay my little Super Saiyan? I have to do some check-ups real quick." Then she leaned in and pressed her lips against my forehead, brushing a lock of hair to the side before she left the deck.

Everyone on the command deck watched her leave - most of the aliens feeling relieved but I felt nothing but confusion. What in the hell was that?! Why was she so…?!

My gaze drifted over to my team, my heart falling when I saw Fasha was trying her absolute best to not explode into uncontrolled laughter with her hands clasped over her mouth. Tora was just massaging his temples while Shugesh was chatting with Borgos. That was...rather...humiliating, all things considered. I mean, it was nice. She...it might just be because she thought I accepted my place in the royal family, but...she cared.

I wasn't expecting that.

However, slowly, I craned my head back to look up at Matillo, who still held me with his hands underneath my arms. The elderly Saiyan looked down at me, his expression a blank mask. My face began to heat up - this was the furthest thing from the first impression I wanted to give as the team leader. I was literally being held and passed around like I was a human baby.

"Can...you please put me down…" I requested, feeling a little piece of myself die from sheer humiliation.

"Of course, my Prince," Matillo agreed, lowering me down to the floor before standing back up. I turned around to look at him and now, when I looked into his eyes, I was absolutely positive that I saw amusement in them.

"...Thanks…" I muttered, glancing over at my team again. This time Fasha wasn't able to contain her giggles because she threw her head back and started laughing.

Yeah. Not the first impression that I wanted.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	17. Smell of Change

I made a strategic retreat from the command deck after learning how long it was going to take to reach our destination. This fleet used a different kind of FTL, something about ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, so the Reach's typical means of delaying an invasion wouldn't work. Still, apparently ripping holes in the space-time continuum was a bad thing, so to punish us it would take two weeks to get to Rench. But, somehow, at the same time, it would only take like three seconds to get there in normal time.

It sounded like a mess of really big math numbers, so I wasn't going to waste my time trying to figure it out. What it meant was that I had two weeks to convince my team to follow me into battle. Given just how vital Rench was to the Reach's war effort, this could be out most intense battle yet. I needed to prove myself before then or otherwise, if they didn't obey my commands, they could get themselves killed.

And, just as likely, I could be ordering them to their deaths, my brain treacherously whispered to me as I made my way down the halls. I tried to push my doubts away, but they refused to go into the little black box of dark thoughts I never wanted to think about again. Doubts that I could do what Lord Frieza wanted me to. Doubts that I could be what he wanted me to become.

Bardock was Bardock. I was just me.

A sigh escaped me as a hand went to my new necklace, the reassuring weight felt more like an anchor as I wandered the halls, trying to find an answer to my many questions. I was tempted to just crawl into a healing pod and sleep the next two weeks away. Maybe it would be better if I just let Tora run the show. It certainly would be easier instead of trying to establish my own authority over them.

But...A sigh escaped me as I ran a hand through my hair. I just woke up after a month of sleep, and I already felt like I could sleep for another. I couldn't just pass this responsibility to another. Lord Frieza himself wanted me to become the face of the Saiyan race, he wanted me to become so strong and powerful and respected that whenever the galaxy thought of a saiyan, they would think of me.

No, I had to do this. The question was how?

"If you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck like that," Queen Teach's voice broke me out of my thoughts, making me blink, glancing up I saw that she was smiling widely at me, her hands on her hips. "What are you thinking about so hard, little guy?"

"Uhh…" I didn't know how to handle this new Queen Teach. Her treating me with utter indifference? Sure, I could handle that easily. Heck, that was normal for me. This whole...motherly thing was throwing me through more than a few hoops. Seriously, what in the hell was going on with her? "I was thinking about my team?" I tried cautiously, only a little surprised when she picked me up like I was some kind of stuffed animal.

"Ah, I heard about that. You're in charge of the planetary elite squad now, aren't you?" Queen Teach said as she...deposited me onto her back, forcing me to hold onto her shoulder. I...I don't understand. Was...was this all because she thought I was a part of the royal family now?

"I am…" I trailed off, not sure what to say. I made leaps and bounds when it came to my awkwardness, but I had absolutely no clue how to handle this entire situation. It was such a harsh contrast from the same woman who completely wrote me off mere moments after I left the gestation tank as dead meat.

"Appointed by Frieza himself. I guess it's not just Vegeta that he sees greatness in," Queen Teach commented casually, earning a flush from me. I wasn't used to receiving such blatant praise from anyone. "So, what's bugging you so badly?"

"I…" I trailed off again, frowning. This...this is what I wanted. Queen Teach was acting like a mom. A human mom. These kinds of interactions were what I fought for years to one day have. I spilled gallons of blood and sweat to one day call the woman that I was riding on like a monkey mother, and she was giving it to me. All because I… "I'm not apart of the royal fam-"

"Vegeta told me you turned it down before we left," Queen Teach interrupted. Wait, what? Then why was she so...nice? "I get where you're coming from. I'd be pissed too if I worked my butt off for something then it gets handed to me out of the blue." She knew? She knew I wasn't a part of the family?

Queen Teach reached back to rustle my hair as she lead us down the halls to an unknown destination. "And I couldn't care less about what your father has to say on the matter. As far as I'm concerned, you're my son."

Don't cry. I couldn't cry. I fought back tears and snot - they proved to be my most difficult foe by far, but like all others before, I came out victorious.

"Why?" I forced myself to ask, swallowing down emotion. None of this made sense. If it wasn't because she thought I accepted my place in the royal family, then what changed? Had she always felt this way and I just never noticed? She waved at me when I returned from my first mission but there was a pretty big jump from waving goodbye to flat out doting on me in ways I didn't think my species was capable of.

Queen Teach shrugged carelessly, "dunno. I guess I'm looking at the world a bit differently now that I have a brat growing inside of me. Which freaking sucks, by the way. I can't spar because the brat can't take a punch yet, and what's the point in the first place if the spar isn't going all out?"

I blinked at that, glancing down at her enlarged stomach. I couldn't stop myself from asking. "Why are you pregnant? Why not just use a gestation tank?" I thought the practice of hearing children naturally was gone. Like she said, bearing children naturally meant for nine months, a Saiyan woman couldn't fight. For a Saiyan, those nine months might as well be an eternity.

"Ehh, we were in the middle of wrecking a planet when I found out that I was having another kid, and I couldn't be bothered to go through the procedure to get the brat out of me. Then I forgot about it for a couple of weeks, and by that time it was way too late to put it inside a gestation tank." Queen Teach explained and, I guess that made sense, in a way. Well, it made a lot more sense than her deciding to swear off gestation tanks - her just forgetting that she was pregnant sounded a lot more...Saiyan.

"How was it back on Planet Vegeta? I heard that there were a lot more saiyans living there now," I asked, trying to picture what Planet Vegeta would look like with a population of over three thousand. Lord Frieza said that there were millions of us now, so as right now about ninety-nine percent of the saiyan race was now children. Huh. That was a little weird to think about-

"No clue, I haven't been back since a couple of days after you left," Queen Teach answered with a shrug.

"Oh. Did King Vegeta come here?" I asked, recalling the last time I saw him. How he impassively looked down at me from his throne, as if I was something that he had scraped off his boot. I don't know how well he was going to take my rejection of joining the royal family, even if I was going to join it in a few years. Or sooner, depending on what kind of fights I get in.

However, Queen Teach threw her head back and let out a bark of laughter. "HA! As if that lazy bum could be bothered to leave his throne," she scoffed with a shake of her head. "Your deadbeat father hasn't left Planet Vegeta once since this war started - he's calling it protecting our home, but who cares if Planet Vegeta gets conquered? We'll just take it back eventually! He needs to get off his ass and start doing something other than getting fat!"

Uhhhh...wait. If Queen Teach hadn't been to Planet Vegeta in about four years, and King Vegeta hadn't left in four years...then...did that mean…

"I...have a half-sibling?" I questioned cautiously, feeling like I just uncanned a whole boatload of worms. Queen Teach confirmed my suspicions with a careless nod, confirming that she...cheated on King Vegeta? Did she? I don't know. Saiyans didn't really have anything like marriage or anything like that so...you know what? I don't want to think about that, so I'm not going to.

"You will soon enough. Just did the scan - she already has a power level of thirty! Heh, at three months, she could have taken you on when you got out of the tank," she teased. I huffed at that, shoving my question about who her father was away. If it was really important, I would find out eventually.

"It's a girl?" I asked, trying to picture what my little sister would look like. Since I had absolutely no idea who the father was, and to be blunt, I really didn't want to know at all, I imagined that she would look a lot like Queen Teach.

"Hm. Don't know what I'm going to name her yet, but I'm thinking...Sallot? Maybe Kail? Or maybe just Tea." Queen Teach mused before giving another shrug. "I have some time to figure it out. But, enough about that. Why don't you tell me what is bothering you, my little Super Saiyan?"

I fell silent at the sudden change of topic and my discomfort must have shown because Queen Teach simply reached back and rustled my hair again. I wanted to tell her, but after four years, I learned to not talk about my problems. For one, a lot of mine were unnatural for a Saiyan, and secondly, I doubt that anyone on my team would care that much. But, if Queen Teach was asking…?

"I don't know how to make my team respect me. I'm team leader and the strongest, but I'm still four years old," I explained with a frown. "Tora's been the vice-captain for years, and the rest of the team have fought with him a lot longer than they have with me."

Queen Teach made an understanding noise, "Well, sounds easy enough!" She said after a quick moment of thought, "all you have to do is make them listen to you. Prove you're the strongest, so even if they don't want to listen to you, they won't have a choice but to." She explained, and all of a sudden, how she handled the admiral on the deck made a whole lot of sense.

"If they step out of line, break some bones. If they don't do what you say, when you say it, give them reasons to not disobey." She continued, giving another careless shrug. I thought about that for a moment, picturing myself threatening the team into submission. It could work for a normal team, but I was less sure with Bardock's- my team. And, I didn't want to rule through fear with them. I wanted what Bardock had - I wanted them to follow me out of respect and trust.

I didn't want anything to change between us except that I was in charge now. I liked what I had with my team.

Still...maybe… "Do you know if my team has finished learning how to control their oozaru form?" I asked, a plan forming in my mind. Queen Teach wasn't wholly wrong about how to make my team listen to me. She was taking it to an extreme, but the core idea was solid. I would make them listen to me the same way that I always listened to Bardock - because he clearly knew what he was talking about.

"No, I don't think so. Veg's ship is too small for that kind of training, and I heard him and your team were too busy having a pissing contest to do any training."

Then that was perfect. "Could we borrow a hanger bay so I can help them master it? And could you help me make sure we don't accidentally blow up the ship?" I asked after a quick moment of thought. I was confident I could do it alone, but if I was wrong then we all died. It was too big of a risk.

"I can't because of the brat in my stomach, but I'll send Matillo and Parslee to a hangar to help hold them down." Queen Teach agreed easily enough before she tapped her scouter, "Oi, admiral. Clear out a hanger for my son...he's teaching his team how to control their oozaru- oh, would you quit your yappin' before I make you quit?!" She snapped at the panicking admiral.

I quickly tuned in to the same frequency, wincing to hear the admiral screeching in my ear. Which was fair, I guess. Oozarus were known city killers, so having one of them on the ship, going out of control...well, his panic was more than fair. "We'll have three others making sure that they don't wreck anything, and we'll only do one at a time," I quickly soothed, making the admiral pause. "I won't let anything happen to your ship."

"...hanger three should suffice for your needs…" the admiral offered after a long minute of silence. With that, he ended the communication. Queen Teach looked back at me, a wide smile on her face.

"See? Just be like that and your team will listen to you in no time!" She encouraged, getting a matching grin out of me.

Here's hoping.

* * *

Hanger three was absolutely massive. It was so big that it really drove home just how big this ship was - the hanger was well over two hundred feet high, and somewhere around five hundred feet wide, making it nearly perfect for what I had planned. Even better, it was mostly empty, the fighter planes having long since been destroyed in battle. It made the two figures standing at the center of the room stand out that much more.

Matillo. The possibly ancient Saiyan that was well out of his prime, but he still maintained a power level of 6800. He stood a head taller than the saiyan next to him, his black eyes meeting mine as soon as I stepped through the door. He bowed his head, his expression unchanging, and I found myself returning the gesture.

Back in the tank, everything that was downloaded into my brain was practical in nature. Languages, how to read and write and so on. However, there wasn't much in the way of history simply because...what good was history? Outside of hyping up legends like King Vegeta the First, and other saiyans that made their mark on history, the actual history of our people was largely forgotten. Simply because no one cared enough to record it.

However, if Matillo was the same Matillo that I thought he was...then he could have been there when King Vegeta the First defeated the truffles. It was awesome to think about.

Standing next to him was Parslee. A handsome saiyan with shaggy black hair, most of his body hidden by a long white cloak. Though, I did see that he left his tail free to wrap around his waist, so he was using an older model of armor. Before my team and I joined the mid-class, he was the newest addition with a power level of 8000.

"My prince," Matillo greeted, bowing to me as I approached, his voice gruff but warm. I was a little surprised by that - he looked the part of a grizzled veteran. Parslee simply nodded at me, his arms crossed.

"Hello Matillo, Parslee," I greeted in return, trying to project the quiet confidence that Bardock carried into any situation. "Did Queen Teach tell you why you're here?"

"She did," Matillo confirmed. "Are your squadmates on their way, my prince?" He asked with a small frown, likely because they were late. I simply gave a nod, not wanting to throw anyone under the bus, and hoping that they had an actual reason to be late other than some petty crap to make me look bad. I didn't think they would, but I also didn't think I would ever be leading a team either.

"They are…" I trailed off, the three of us falling into silence with nothing else to talk about. The fact that there was silence really stood out to me - on my team, whenever there were two members together, then there was a conversation rolling. About anything. From food to missions, to making fun of each other for one reason or another. I glanced up at Matillo, and he caught the glance, raising an eyebrow at me.

Right. I doubt he would volunteer the information out of the blue. "Are you the same Matillo that fought with King Vegeta the First?" I asked with the subtlety of a brick, an amused expression appearing on Matillo's face at my question. Parslee's eyebrows shot up, caught off guard by the question before they nearly flew off his face when Matillo gave a small, but firm nod.

"I am," he confirmed, nearly making my jaw drop. I could barely believe it. That meant he was at least, bare minimum, three hundred years old. Then he let out a small huff through his nose, sounding thoroughly amused. "You're the first to ask me that, my prince. Everyone usually assumes that I'm simply named after myself. Is there something you wish to know about your ancestor?"

Huh. I was so wrapped up in the idea that he might be three hundred years old and all that he had seen over those years, I hadn't put any thought into what I would actually like to ask him about. Matillo seemed to mistake my hesitation for something else because he glanced over at Parslee, "go fetch the princes team."

"Huh?" Parslee was broken out of his shock by the order. He blinked once, then gave a shrug. "Fine then. I'll return soon, Prince Tarble." He said, giving me a short bow. A denial of being a prince was heavy on my tongue, and it must have shown because Matillo spoke as soon as Parslee left the hanger.

"It is known that you refused your place in the royal family, for now, but it is clear that it won't be long until you enter the elite-class. Even if you only pass that barrier by going through your first growth spurt, but I doubt it will take you that long," Matillo spoke and it still caught me off guard by the sheer certainty in his tone. Much like Vegeta and Queen Teach, he spoke like my ascension to the elite-class was a foregone conclusion, like it was a fact.

For years, it was nothing but doubt and scoffs from those that thought I could hear them. Now my ascension to the elite-class was inevitable.

"What was your question, my prince?" Matillo asked, his voice sounding grandfatherly, for a lack of a better word.

"I didn't really have a specific one," I admitted after a moment. "I was just interested in the kind of stuff that my lessons didn't cover in the tank. And you were there, so…" I trailed off, wary of rejection. Saiyan warriors weren't meant to have interests outside of fighting, but I guess it was a holdover from my last life.

To my surprise, Matillo actually looked pleased. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards, making me realize that the lines around his mouth were from smiling for several lifetimes. "I see. I suppose that is to be expected. Much...has been forgotten over the centuries because it wasn't important enough to be included in the basic lessons." He mused, stroking a stark white beard that clung to his jaw.

"Like what?" I asked, my interest in the topic growing. It was one thing to learn about history from a book or having the information downloaded directly into your brain, but it was another thing entirely to speak with someone that was actually there.

"Hm. Our people remember the deeds of our ancestors, but they have forgotten the people that performed those deeds," Matillo spoke after a moment of thought. "King Vegeta the First, he is remembered for conquering the truffles despite their technological and numerical superiority, but it has been forgotten what he had to do to unite the saiyan tribes."

I perked up at that, prompting Matillo to continue. "After we landed on planet Planet, we claimed the outlands, the places that the truffles didn't want or didn't use while they lived in their cities. We were separated and weak, unused to the heavy gravity - for generations, we fought amongst each other in small tribes." Then he let out a huff of amused laughter.

"King Vegeta the First came to my tribe as an infiltration baby," he informed, and that sure wasn't included in my lessons.

"King Vegeta was an infiltration baby?" I blurted, not believing that for a second. Was he just screwing with me? And how would that even work in the first place-

"He was. We didn't always send out our young into space to conquer planets to earn the right to call themselves warriors. That tradition started long before I was born, and it has changed greatly over time, but in essence, it remains the same," Matillo explained, his tone taking on a wistful edge. "We would send our young - the weak or sickly, to be raised by other tribes. They would learn their techniques, learn their ways to survive, and then one day, when the time was right, when they proved they were strong enough, they could return to the tribe they were born in."

"But, why would another tribe take in a baby that they knew was weak?" I asked, trying to picture it in my head. To be blunt, if a saiyan stumbled across a weak newborn infant, I could only imagine that would end with a contest of who could kick the baby the furthest.

Matillo's smile grew, "I believe you have a clue as to why." He pointed out, and I realized he was right.

"...does giving birth normally really change a person that much?" I asked with a small frown. Queen Teach did have that playful air about her when she wasn't dismissing my death as any of her concern, but now it was just...dialed up to fifteen.

"No, I wouldn't say that, my prince. It simply makes them look at things a bit differently," Matillo argued with a small shake of his head. "But, before the gestation tanks, it was the women that took in whatever child they found. They raised the child like it was their own...it wasn't uncommon for tribes to join together because two mothers couldn't bear to be separated from the child."

Matillo let out another huff of laughter, laughing at a memory only he could recall now. "King Vegeta the First was one of those cases. I helped raise the boy...and...even back when he was forced to crawl because he couldn't stand underneath the gravity of Planet Plant, there was something special about him." Matillo looked down at me with an odd expression, like he was looking through me rather than at me. "He always looked at any situation and found an angle that no one had ever noticed. People followed him even though he wasn't the strongest, but because obeying him meant victory. No matter the odds, Vegeta the First won."

I stood a little straighter underneath his gaze, making Matillo nod approvingly. "He united the tribes that way. With the belief that following him meant victory. And he proved that it did." He recalled fondly - looking at him now, he looked like a grandpa far more than a grizzled veteran.

I nodded, mulling over that for a long second. King Vegeta the First, my ancestor, was an infiltration baby. That was one pretty big detail to leave out of the history books, but I saw why it was. That fact would have tarnished his legacy, so it was omitted and forgotten by everyone except for the one man that watched it all happen. Which just begged the question of what else was forgotten?

"But...how would you know if the infiltration baby belonged to your tribe or not?" I questioned, feeling an eagerness to learn that was only matched by my eagerness for a good fight. More questions came to mind about our forgotten history - how long was it between crashing on planet Plant and taking it over? How did the class-system form? What was it like back when the saiyans were just a bunch of tribes? What was life like back then? For every second, I thought of a dozen questions and, judging by the small, almost gentle smile on Matillo's face, he would answer them all.

"Because of your hair," he answered, pointing to my hair. "Hairstyles run in the family, and it's pretty easy to recognize a kid that belonged to your tribe by the hairstyle alone. They don't change from birth to death, unless you're one of the unlucky ones that end up going bald, like me." He explained, rubbing his smooth scalp, though his touch lingered on the X shaped scar.

Huh. That...made a lot of sense, now that I think about it.

Unfortunately, the hanger doors slid open before I could pester Matillo with more questions. My team followed Parslee, who bowed before stood to my right while Matillo stood on my left.

Right. Time to be a leader.

"Since we have two weeks until we reach Rench, we should make the most of it. Bardock said that you made a lot of progress on D'xe to control your oozaru forms, so we should make sure you master it before we get there. I have a feeling that we'll need it," I explained, puffing out my chest and trying to ignore how I was three or four inches away from being eye level with most of my team's knees. I could not wait until my first growth spurt.

Tora nodded, "yeah, that sounds good to me." He voiced his opinion, "who's up first?" He started, turning his question to the rest of the team.

"Shugesh," I volunteered the rounder saiyan, turning my team's gaze back on me. "You're up," I decided since he was currently one of the weakest of the team, so he should be the easiest to subdue in a test run.

Tora opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Shugesh shrugging carelessly as he strode forward. "Sure thing," he agreed, walking towards the center of the hangar bay.

"Parslee and I can handle this, for now, my prince," Matillo stated, turning to follow Shugesh, giving me time to speak with my team. Once they were far enough away, Matillo tossed up a Power Ball and all three of them began to transform. They grew into their oozaru forms, and as soon as they were standing at their full height, Shugesh threw himself at Matillo and Parslee mindlessly.

The ship shook from the force of their blows, wind buffeting my face as Shugesh was slammed into the ground by Matillo while Parslee clamped his hands over Shugesh's maw to keep him from firing off a ki breath attack. I watched them in silence, wanting to make absolutely sure that we weren't about to accidentally destroy the ship, but it seemed like the two of them had the situation well in hand.

"Tarble," Tora spoke up, getting my attention. When I turned around, I saw that he, Fasha and Borgos wore unusually serious expressions. Well, the other two did. Borgos always looked serious, even as he munched on a piece of jerky. "We need to talk."

Ah. So that's how it is?

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod of my head. "We do." It was better that we decide who was in charge now rather than risking a mishap in the middle of battle-

My train of thought was lost when Tora and the rest of the team took off their scouters, prompting me to slowly do the same. Whatever they had to say, they didn't want to risk anyone else overhearing. It was Fasha that spoke first after a tense beat of silence since Tora was too busy frowning at me.

"Bardock told us that you managed to tap into the power of the oozaru without transforming. Called it a Wrath State," she spoke, and I had to fight off a frown. What was with Bardock naming my techniques? "Have you told anyone about it yet?" She asked this time I didn't bother fighting off my frown as I shook my head.

"It hasn't come up," I answered with a small shrug. First Frieza blows up a planet, and then Queen Teach started to be all...motherly towards me. Everyone was so caught up on the fact that I had killed a Green Lantern that no one bothered to ask how I managed it.

"We should keep that secret close to our chest," Tora spoke up while Borgos simply nodded in agreement. I tilted my head at that, puzzled why we should keep it a secret. Wasn't it a good thing? Now the mid and elite-classes could use their techniques with an x10 multiplier. "Frieza hates our species, and he's known for eradicating ones that he doesn't like. We're only still around because were more useful than trouble. If he hears about the Wrath State, it could be enough for him to decide that he's better off without the saiyans and kill us off before we become a threat."

A memory from before the tank appeared - Bardock making a last stand against a death ball created by Lord Frieza, only to fail and Planet Vegeta suffered the same fate as Sereall and D'xe. Even without that memory, it was hardly a secret that Lord Frieza didn't care much for saiyans, but, at the same time…

"But Lord Frieza took off our population cap, and we're in the middle of a war. I don't think he would do that," I argued with a shake of my head, frowning at Tora when he opened his mouth to press the issue. "And you weren't there when Lord Frieza destroyed Sereall. It was effortless. We could be a threat to him? You have no idea how absurd that idea is," I refuted firmly.

With the Wrath State, I was around 85,000 in terms of power level. Lord Frieza was so powerful that scouter technology wasn't advanced enough to even begin to measure his strength. Us? Be a threat to him? The idea of it was ridiculous. And we were in the middle of a large scale war, wiping out our race now just didn't make any sense.

Tora and Fasha shared a glance before the latter gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Maybe blowing up the saiyan race might be a bit much, but us? The mid and elite-class? He'd take us out in a heartbeat." And deny himself valuable assets during a war? Not to mention, he specifically wanted me to rack up achievements during this war.

"No, there's no point in keeping it a secret. And how would we? Someone would figure it out eventually when we have a power level ten times our base and we aren't transformed," I argued against the idea. Tora winced at that, likely not thinking about the logistics of keeping such a secret.

Then he shrugged, "our team does our best work when we're behind enemy lines. If you just teach it to us, then no one would find out about the Wrath State." He pointed out but I was already shaking my head again as I wore a deep frown. Why did they want it to be a secret so badly? Didn't they see how good this could be for the war effort?

"Except we're not behind enemy lines, and the Wrath State isn't something that you can master that easily." I pointed out, recalling the sheer agony I felt utilizing the form. My organs had been shish kabobed, and the pain from that was nothing compared to the Wrath State. "I'm not sure if it can be mastered at all."

Fasha frowned at me, "what do you mean by that?"

I paused, glancing over at Shugesh and the others as he struggled to regain control over himself. How could I put it into words?

"The Wrath State...its about finding a balance," I started after a long minute of silence. "Between pain and rage. The Wrath State…there aren't words to describe how much it hurts. It feels like you're on fire and about to explode because you're body is too small to contain that power. It could drive you insane if you let it."

Frowning, I continued, "and the rage offers an escape from the pain. It distracts you from it and it's so tempting to lose control so you won't feel any." There was a read haze on the memories, but I recalled how I fought. I battered my hands until they became pulp, I nearly cut off a leg and tried to chew off an arm. I hadn't even thought about it. "But you can't because then you're just mindlessly attacking everything in the middle of a mission."

I saw by their expressions that they weren't convinced. So, slowly, I walked up to Tora. There was some merit in what Queen Teach said, despite my distaste of leading through fear. Tora looked down at me warily, then alarmed as I cocked back a fist. Before he could react, I punched him in the thigh hard enough that his tibia snapped like a twig.

"Gah!" He shouted, collapsing as he glared at me, clutching his broken leg. He grit his teeth, obviously in pain, but that was the point.

"What did you do that for?!" Fasha snapped at me, falling silent when I turned my attention to her.

"To prove a point. If something like breaking a bone causes too much pain for you, then you aren't ready to learn the Wrath State in the first place," I told them as I stared Tora down. This wasn't what I wanted, but I could hardly make them believe me any other way. He pressed his lips together into a thin line, pointedly not responding, which got a sigh out of me. "I'll teach you when you're ready for it. And I won't keep it some secret. We have a war to win."

Fasha shook her head, "Tarble, you can't-"

"Why is it so important to you that I keep it a secret?" I interrupted, their excuses ringing hollow. Especially now when Fasha fell silent, glancing over at Tora's fallen form.

Neither of them answered and I felt a gulf appear between us in the span of a second.

Because they were keeping a secret from me that they didn't trust me with. Because they didn't trust me.

And I didn't trust them as much as I did.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pa tre on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	18. Smell of First Blood

"Is it done yet?" I asked, looking over at a technician with a pair of smaller arms attached to his regular-sized arms. In the smaller pair of hands were a pair of tools that I didn't know the name of. What I did know was when it pressed the tools to the scouter that laid on a table in front of it, sparks flew while wisps of smoke drifted upwards.

"Juuuuust…" the technician started to say, turning its gaze to a hologram that had all kinds of bars and jagged lines. They were graphs, I knew that much, but whatever information they were trying to convey to me, I didn't understand in the slightest. What I did understand that they were good because the technician let out an approving noise as it nodded. "Onnnnne second…"

Withdrawing the tools, the technician started to pull wires that attached it to a monitor before closing it. I stared down at the unique scouter, the only one of its kind. The plane of hard crystal was a deep red that my...family seemed to prefer, but the earpiece was different than the standard. It was slimmer, but wider while at the bottom was a port.

"So, what you do is you hook this wire into whatever you're downloading the info from, it should work with any Frieza-force tech, but I included a hookup for Reach tech as well. Just in case, you know?" The technician explained, handing me the scouter, letting me inspect it, but I had no idea what I was supposed to be inspecting it for. "Then, if it's just general info you want to find out, you pull it up like this."

I watched the technician start to press several buttons that were now placed on the side of the scouter rather than a single one that there was before. Paying close attention, I watched him pull up information about our destination, planet Rench. Since it was a planet that the Trade Organization sold the Reach, we had a fair bit of info about it.

The planet's radius was 43,441 mi - I didn't really understand what that meant, but it was roughly the same size as Planet Vegeta. Also, like Planet Vegeta, it had gravity that was ten times the galactic standard, so a lot of our weaker species were going to be useless in this fight since their hearts weren't strong enough to pump blood to their brains. There was a bunch of other stuff too - temperature, day-night cycle, air composition and so on.

Though, the info was at least four years old since the Reach clamped down tight on any information leakage. I'm pretty sure that we had spies in the Reach empire, but if we were getting any information from them, then it didn't make it down to my level. Since the list still marked that it had a moon, I'm guessing that I couldn't fully believe it.

"And these sensors right here are used for the general scan," Technician continued, pressing a few more buttons so the eyepiece showed me the conditions of the ship's interior. Now I would know if they were doing anything to the weather like they did on D'xe. All in all, it was a greatly improved scouter that would feed me more info beyond power levels.

"Thanks," I said, pushing the scouter in place, shifting my head to test if it sat comfortably. It was different than my old scouters, but I will get used to it.

"Er, no problem...but…" The technician's beady black eyes that reminded me of a bug darted down to the green ring that hung from my neck. "If you wouldn't mind, could I check out that-"

"No," I denied, turning around and walking away, ignoring the alien's protests. Thankfully, the bulkhead door slid shut behind me, silencing them as I started to make my way down the halls of the spaceship. All the while, I fiddled with the settings, trying to master it as much as I could in the time that I had left. We had less than a day until we arrived at Rench.

My feet carried me to the command deck. It was repaired at some point, a display of the planet hovering above a command center. The admiral was staring hard at it, its arms crossed while other attendants discussed what they were seeing. I knew what they were doing only because it was the same thing that they've been doing for the past two weeks - trying to hammer out a battle plan with rough estimations of the Reach's strength.

"The entire battle for the sky hinges on the element of surprise. If their ships manage to get in position before we inflict enough damage, then we'll be repelled long before we can touch down on the planet," one of them repeated that same line again after saying it for two weeks straight.

"In that case, we'll do a full retreat-" One started to argue, but another cut them off.

"If they have defense platforms, then we won't have time. We have to approach from here fly in otherwise we could jump inside their defensive perimeter."

"Approaching from that far out and we'll completely lose the element of surprise!" The first one argued, sounding frustrated. I know I was. Despite two weeks to prepare, we were still arguing about what the plan was instead of how to best enact it.

"This entire mission is a suicide run," the cynical one spat. "We don't have the strength to challenge them on one of their most secure planets in this sector with a significant fleet behind them."

"We're going in blind, we knew that going in. Suck it up and deal with it." The first spat right back at the cynical alien. Before it could descend into shouting and name-calling, like it had the first week, the admiral held up a paw to forestall any arguing. It let out a sigh before it glanced over at Queen Teach, who stood in the corner, her arms crossed as she looked like...no, she was asleep, she was just sleeping with her eyes open.

"Queen General Teach?" The admiral spoke, his voice grave, "your thoughts?"

Predictably, Queen Teach was silent, her chest steadily rising and falling as her blank eyes stared at the hologram. The rest of the staff waited in silence as they thought she was carefully considering the question, the tension in the room steadily growing thicker with each second my mother was silent. Eventually, after about a minute, the staff started to share glances- ah, they were about to figure out that she wasn't paying attention.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat as I walked onto the deck, bringing their attention to me. Queen Teach probably wouldn't care at all if they caught her sleeping, but I know I would be really embarrassed by getting caught. So, I wouldn't let that happen to her. "It sounds like we still don't have a plan?"

The admiral grimaced but it nodded all the same, "we do not. There are too many variables. Too many what-ifs," it agreed with a small sigh as it turned its attention back to the hologram. "We don't know their fleet positions, and this entire endeavor hinges on taking them out in a surprise attack."

"Which is why we should go to another planet that'll be undefended," Cynical spoke, and, despite its whining, it did have a point. There were dozens of worlds that were left unprotected except for whatever garrison they might have.

"But, this prize is too big to pass up," I reminded lightly, frowning at the hologram. "Their fleet is still significant, when they regroup, their going to cause some damage whenever they pop up." I could practically see it now. While all the other fleets and armies were ravaging the sector, the Reach's fleet appears in system with their pants caught around their ankles. "It's too big of a force to leave alone."

"I am much the same mind," the admiral agreed with a nod, trying to sound confident but I couldn't help but remember it cowering before my mother. It gave into this entire thing because of her threats, not because it was a daring admiral. "As risky as it is, we won't have a better chance than this. Even if we don't take the planet, damaging it enough could greatly help the war effort."

I nodded at that, agreeing there. "It sounds like we're stuck between two choices?" I commented more to myself, mulling over what I had overheard. A blind leap or a careful approach - each had their flaws. A blind leap was riskier but had the greatest chance to pull out a victory, though there was a significant chance we'd be destroyed if the fleet was in position. The cautious approach meant we'd likely be forced to flee the system if they noticed us before we were in position.

"I don't suppose you would have a tiebreaker, prince Tarble?" The admiral asked and, after two weeks, I've stopped trying to correct people that I wasn't a prince yet. It just caused a lot of confusion because everyone kept calling me prince Tarble.

I sent the admiral a startled look, not expecting to be put on the spot like that. For a moment, I thought it was joking, but there was a serious expression on his teddy bear looking face. I...I needed to figure out what rank I was because I'm pretty sure offering advice on fleet tactics on this scale was way, way, way, way above my paygrade. Though, I'm not sure I got paid in the first place.

"I…" I started to deny offering any kind of advice, feeling like I shouldn't, but I held my tongue. The old me would have denied any role in strategizing, choosing to leave that to Bardock. But I couldn't be like that anymore. I was the leader of a team now, I had to be better than that. I had to be like Bardock.

So, what would Bardock do in this situation?

Taking a deep breath, I thought about Bardock's countless successes over the years. His plans were always daring, high risk, but he was always prepared for those risks. His thinking was out of the box, coming at problems in ways that no one would have ever expected, and winning the fight before the enemy had time to figure out what was going on.

Turning to the admiral, I spoke. "How far out would we have to be to go unnoticed?" I asked, a plan forming in the back of my mind. I had to think like Bardock, only this time the plan didn't involve a small elite team but a powerful fleet of ships. The premise was the same, though and that had to be good enough.

"Out of the solar system," Cynical answered promptly, getting a nod from me. That wasn't ideal, but I could work with that.

"Or," Optimist offered after a moment before another planet appeared on the hologram. "There's Skrew, it's a highly irradiated planet that could mask out entrance if we pull up behind it." It said, making Cynical scowl at it.

"We ruled that out - the ambient radiation-" it started but I cut it off with a hand, a gesture that Bardock used whenever he wanted me to shut up.

"Will it hide our entrance?" I asked, looking at the solar system. Skrew wasn't that far away from Rench, almost close enough to be called a moon. That would bring us much closer.

"It's a dangerous maneuver, especially for coming out of hyperspace, but it would work," Optimistic confirmed with a nod. That was better. Much, much better.

"If we can get that close, then we could send a team to scout and sabotage the fleet. We did it back on Rockoroad and destroyed a reactionary fleet that way. Do we have any antigrain warheads?" I asked, picturing the plan in my head. It almost felt like I was stealing a plan from Bardock, but I couldn't let my lack of originality stop me. It was a good plan.

A team, my team most likely, flew in undetected. We could scout to see what position the fleet was in, then plant the antigrain explosives. With enough of them, we could possibly take out the entire fleet in the opening move of the battle. Though, admittedly, it was going to be a high-risk mission for the team that went in because, four years ago, they had vastly inferior scouting tech and I was a lot weaker so I went unnoticed.

"No," a woman's voice spoke up and it took me a moment to realize that Queen Teach had woken up. I glanced over at her to see that she was frowning at me - that caught me so flat-footed, I froze in place by a deep-seated natural fear of parental disapproval.

"Er...we don't have any antigrain warheads?" I tried to guess why she was frowning at me. However, my words just made her frown deepened as she shook her head.

"You want to use weapons?" She asked with obvious distaste, making it clear that she wanted my answer to that question to be no. But, I couldn't exactly say that because my plan did involve weapons.

"Well...yeah," I nodded slowly, feeling like I was standing on thin ice. Without the ability to fly. "If we manage to go undetected, we could destroy a lot more enemy ships in the opening move of the battle than we could by using our techniques," I explained, recalling the lesson that Bardock had taught me on Rockoroad. The mission, the team, then pride. "At most, we could destroy...maybe...ten before they start to react, but if we use antigrain warheads to prep the field, then we could destroy a lot...more…"

I trailed off when I noticed that Queen Teach was tapping her foot, evidently unconvinced with my logic. When she pinned me with a Look, I couldn't shake off the feeling of impending doom. "You want to ambush them as well?" She asked, the questions phrased similar to 'if your friends were jumping off a bridge, would you as well?'

"I...I do…?" I confirmed, feeling like I just signed my own death warrant. Judging by the absolutely furious expression that appeared on her face, I think I might have. She crossed the distance between us in a split second, that deep-seated primal fear kept me from moving as she reached down and pinched my ear.

"OW!" I hissed as she pulled me up as if to bring me closer to make sure I could hear her yelling at me.

"Honestly, what has Bardock been teaching you?!" Queen Teach shouted, "You want to use weapons? No son of mine will be using technology to kill his enemies! Do you understand me?!"

"I-I understand!" I've broken bones, had my organs used as a pincushion and pushed myself to the absolute brink of death more times than I want to count, so why did this hurt so damn much?!

"Do you? How are you going to kill your enemies then?!" Queen Teach demanded to know, pulling on my ear until I'm pretty sure she would have yanked it off if I didn't fly a little bit to help with the pain.

"I-I'll kill my enemies with my bare hands!" I shouted, saying whatever she wanted to hear. And those seemed to be the magic words that she wanted to hear because she let go of my ear. I dropped to the floor, rubbing pain out of my throbbing ear.

"Good, and don't you ever forget that! I'm going to throttle Bardock when I see him - using weapons? Ha!" Queen Teach muttered to herself as she shook her head, going to leave the room. The admiral started to panic and that was fair, I guess since Queen Teach was the general of the army so she really should be involved in this discussion.

"But, Queen General Teach, the-" The admiral started to protest, only to cut itself off when Queen Teach made a dismissive gesture as she strode out of the room.

"Tell me what you lot decide later," Queen Teach dismissed the issue of leading the army rather easily. "And Tarble-" She turned around, making me go stiff again. "None of your plans can involve weapons. Got it?"

Fuck. "Got it," I agreed with no small amount of reluctance. This...became a lot more difficult than it needed to be.

"You better, young man. If I find out you're lying to me…!" Queen Teach warned, leaving her threat unfinished. I swallowed thickly, something that didn't go unnoticed by my mother. She smiled almost patronizingly at me before she stepped outside of the command room. She left silence in her wake, none of the command staff ready for that kind of restriction.

I knew Bardock was different from most saiyans, but since I spent most of my life with the team, I never realized just how different he was. From the sound of it, Queen Teach would rather lose the battle and die than use a weapon like an antigrain warhead.

"I don't suppose you have something else for us with that restriction?" The admiral asked, rubbing its eyes with its paws. Yeah...I felt that. I ran a hand through my hair as I blew out a sigh, turning my attention back to the hologram. If we couldn't use weapons, then what did we have?

I stared at it for another minute, then I smiled.

"I think I do."

* * *

"Is everyone clear on the plan?" I asked as I grabbed a mask from a hook and double-checked my secondary air tank. It was topped off, but, with any luck, we wouldn't need them. Unlike most missions, we had to wear hard suits because of the radiation given off from Skrew and the amount that it was giving off wasn't something that a saiyan could tough out. Though, I did learn that it was a naturally occurring thing rather than an unfortunate accident rendered it inhospitable.

According to my information on the Rench, constantly being bombarded with intense radiation gave the mineral-rich planet unique resources that the Reach mined for hundreds of years. For the most part, drones made up the population, but the machine world's surface acted almost like lead shielding so a small population of organics could survive in some places. Though, the amount of radiation that bombarded Rench meant we couldn't spend more than twenty-four hours on the surface, or we would start to suffer the consequences. And that was in our hard suits.

"Yes, my prince," Matillo confirmed with a nod before he secured a mask over his face. I glanced at him and the others - all mid-class saiyans, my team, Matillo, and Parslee. Queen Teach was needed to coordinate the ground assault, so she couldn't partake in the mission. But...that was probably a good thing.

The hard suits had a lot in common with regular armor, only there was more of it. There was leg and arm armor, that was made of the same material as my chest armor. The undersuit was very different - it was about half an inch thick of some kind of black material that filled the small gaps that the armor didn't cover. The helmet, on the other hand, was an unwieldy bucket with filters around the bottom, though, with the black eyepieces, it almost looked like a face in a way.

Turning to my team, I noticed they were all wearing the helmets so I couldn't tell what they were thinking. However, Tora nodded at me. I doubted that he was happy, or any of them were, to be following my orders but I could only hope that they would obey them. There was far too much at stake over pride.

Hopefully, they got the same lesson that Bardock gave me.

Turning to Parslee, I got another 'yes, my prince' so I tapped the side of my helmet that was hooked into my scouter, while a secondary one was attached to my leg. "The away team is ready," I informed the admiral as I turned my attention to the ships that we were using. They were shuttle cars, or so I was told. A sleek looking brick painted black and blue in a simple design. Though, since everyone here could fly, we wouldn't be using them for their intended purpose. Four of them in total, enough for teams of two with me being the remainder.

"We will be leaving slipspace in one minute. Spirits watch over you," the admiral said dramatically as we began to count the seconds to our next battle. It was weird, a few years ago, and each second would have felt like a separate eternity. Now, I was...well, not relaxed, but my heartbeat was in a steady tempo and my mind wasn't filled with what-ifs. I had a plan, and now it was just a matter of making sure that it worked and everyone got back alive.

"I don't suppose your mother is aware of the specifics of your plan?" Matillo questioned, a note of humor in his voice as he stood by his shuttle car, his arms crossed as he waited patiently for the light to turn green so we could start the mission.

I grimaced behind my helmet, but the answer must have been obvious because he let out a soft laugh. "No…" I answered with more than a little reluctance, worrying that she might be listening. When I didn't get an earful after a few moments, I continued, "but they aren't weapons, so it's fine."

"I doubt Queen Teach will see it like that," Matillo commented, earning another grimace from me. I figured that would be the case, but I could take a little pain if it meant my team came back alive. I doubt they would appreciate my sacrifice too, but such was the burden of being team leader.

With that, the light flashed green and no sooner than it had, I pressed a large red button to open up the hangar doors. They cracked open and starting with me, we picked up the shuttles and flew out into the vacuum of space. To my left, I saw Skrew, and all of a sudden it made a lot of sense that the ambient radiation and whatever masked our exit from slipspace because that planet was actually glowing.

I was mesmerized by the sight, it still had an atmosphere, so the glowing shades of green, blue, yellows and oranges blended together in a beautiful pattern. Almost as if someone was stirring a pot slowly with all the colors mixing together, but not combining. But it wasn't the time for sightseeing.

I gestured to my left before I started to fly around the planet, keeping my speed down until it was practically a crawl. The others flew behind me, the distance between us slowly becoming greater to space us out to better avoid detection. Minutes went by before I cleared the edge of the planet, letting me catch my first look at Rench.

Much like I expected, it was another machine world. The entire surface of the planet was made of metal and concrete, the clouds of smog drifted over the surface in place of clouds and from this close, I could see hundreds of space elevators that dotted the surface. However, far more pressing, I also saw the fleet hovering around the massive planet. The remainder of the fleet from Sereall bolstered with a garrison fleet, bringing the total to over a hundred ships.

The mass majority of the fleet was set up in a defensive position around the defense platform, so it was a good thing that we didn't do a blind jump in. But, it seemed that not every ship managed to escape unscathed. I saw other ships that were obviously not made for combat conducting repairs, some of them looked completely powered down.

So, they were in position for a fight, but they weren't ready for one. Perfect.

Taking in a deep breath, I slowed down my speed and started to fly towards the planet.

* * *

Hours passed as we slowly made our way towards the planet. I had the others flank out wide, thinking that the further spread out we were would prevent us from being detected. Our shuttles were cold, so the Reach shouldn't pick them up on anything other than radar, or if someone looked out a window. And even if they did, what they would see were shuttles with Reach colors.

In the end, I was far more concerned that the fleet would be discovered. They were hidden behind Skrew, bombarded with so much hard radiation that the fleet was going to be radioactive for the next thousand years, and all it would take is one satellite or probe to notice them before we reached the fleet. If that happened, they would be forced to flee the system and we would be stranded here.

Pushing the what-ifs out of my mind, I waited until the next stage of the plan.

And waited.

And waited.

And kept waiting.

And then I waited some more.

Hours upon hours ticked by in utter silence, unable to communicate with my team or the fleet because the risk of being caught was too great. With each hour, the fleet and planet drew closer and closer and closer until it finally became time to reach the next step of the plan.

Slowing down to make sure that they didn't notice our entry.

Another hour ticked by incredibly slowly before I was finally close enough to enact part three of the plan. I looked at the stationed fleet and tapped on the side of my secondary scouter - regrettably, I didn't know much about spaceships or defensive positioning since I was only ever on the offense, so I was forced to make best guesses. I selected a coordinate, marking it, then I did the same with the others until each team had a destination.

Each coordinate was located in a gap in the formation, between the cruisers and flagship, a fair amount of distance away so we should be easy to miss. Between all of us, we should have pretty good coverage over the entire fleet. Then I started marking priority targets - the defense platform, but not the flagship. I highlighted cruisers, dreadnaughts and anything else that had punching power.

Satisfied with my work, I took off my scouter and left it floating in space for Tora's team to pick up to fly to their destination. From there, the next in line would pick it up, learn their orders, then leave it behind for the next. The last, Parslee, would take the scouter with him and use it to begin the operation.

After that, it was more waiting.

And more waiting.

And more waiting.

And some more waiting.

Until, finally, we began to near the planet itself. I stared hard at the location, my gaze sweeping over the ships. My heart pounded in my chest, my body tense as I got ready for the plan to go to shit. However, as I drifted towards their flagship, I noticed a distinct lack of the fleet going on high alert with hundreds of thousands of drones pouring out of the transports.

Much like with Rockoroad, I flew so close to the ships that I could reach out and touch one, but they didn't notice my presence. That was...good. We knew that the Reach had a variation of our scouter tech, but it seemed that they only installed it on their vanguard units and up. I had worried that they installed it into their ships or sensor tech, but they didn't, just like we haven't in our ships for reasons I didn't know.

What it did mean was that I managed to get in position without trouble, letting me look around at my targets. A dreadnaught in repair, several cruisers and a transport were the obvious first picks. There were smaller ships that I decided to hit before they dispersed too much and became a pain in the butt to deal with. I rested a hand on my shuttle car, double-checking the air gauge to see that I was still firmly in the green, the needle having barely budged over the hours of flying.

I couldn't see the others, but given there was a lack of response from the fleet, I'm guessing that they managed to slip by without being noticed. Now, it was a simple task of waiting for the signal-

A light on my HUD flashed green signaling that we were all in position. Right. It was finally time. I formed a Power Ball in my hands before tossing it up, ripping off my helmet to stare up at it. Instantly, I felt the oozaru transformation beginning, and this time I didn't fight it. My body grew, my armor stretching to accommodate my new body and within a few moments, I was a hundred feet tall.

I summoned upon the sea of ki inside, letting it travel up my throat at blasting a dreadnaught with it. The attack punched through the shields, causing them to fail nearly instantly before it slammed into the hull. For the briefest of moments, it seemed like the hull was going to hold out, only for my attack to punch through it after that moment passed. Yanking my head to the side, I cut the ship in half, my attack destroying a cruiser that had been behind it as well.

That got a reaction out of the fleet. The transports began to open up to deploy drones, some of the ship's thrusters flared to life, forcing me to ignore the burning sensation in my lungs and fire another ki breath attack.

This one slammed into the transports, destroying the drones before they could pour out and run interference. In a way, they were the biggest threat to the mission. As if to confirm that it was okay, I reached out with a massive hand and gripped the space shuttle filled with air. A makeshift air-tank with a mask fit for an oozaru strapped to the top of it.

There was only enough air in it for about five full breaths, but that was enough to get the job done.

Ignoring the pain in my lungs, I turned my attention to the cruisers that aimed their defensive turrets in my direction and hit them with a ki breath attack before they could fire a volley. The hull of the cruisers proved to be far less durable than the dreadnaughts, letting me rip through three of them with a single attack. After that, I was forced to grab the mask and take in a deep breath.

In that moment, through the wreckage, I spotted another oozaru causing chaos. Even if I didn't know already that it was Matillo, I would have suspected because of his stark white fur. He fired off a ki breath attack, destroying a dreadnaught, but I noticed something. My eyes widened a fraction when I saw that yellow balls of ki were forming in his hands.

It was slow, so slow that he fired off another attack as I took off my mask and unleashed my own ki blast to destroy another ship, but he was definitely forming a ki attack in his hands. I...didn't think that was possible. Ki in the oozaru form was...heavy, for lack of a better word. Dense and sluggish, it was so much easier to fire it from the mouth, natural almost.

But, contrary to my beliefs, Matillo formed two ki balls in his hands before he launched them at a cruiser while he fired another ki breath attack. They slammed into it before the entire ship exploded, one of them hitting a reactor or something.

For the briefest of moments, I considered trying to copy the move, but the mission came first. I could experiment later when I wasn't completing a vital mission for the war effort.

Instead, I resolved to ask him about it later while I fired off another ki blast attack. This time, I got about ten ships from hitting the small ones, but our time was up. It had only been a minute, maybe less, but the fleet was starting to respond, recovering from the surprise attack. The remaining ships began to drift apart, turning towards us, and breaking up their formation to avoid friendly fire.

Exactly according to plan.

That was the signal for our fleet to move, jumping into slipstream, they used the coordinates that Parslee should have given before he gave the all-clear to start the operation to guide them. Since slipspace was weird, in the few seconds it was for us as the Reach fleet began to respond, it was hours to our fleet.

Hours to prepare a plan that would capitalize on the opportunity that we provided.

The fleet came out of slipspace dangerously close to the Reach fleet, our fleet perfectly poised in front of all major threats. In a wall of firepower, our fleet unleashed hell on the unprepared flanks of the Reach armada, destroying dozens of ships in brilliant explosions. From my view, I saw the flagship go down, broken apart as our flagship hit it with a massive solid hunk of metal that punched through it, through another ship, then raced towards the planet.

Even as I unleashed another ki breath attack, I smiled.

My plan had worked.

The battle for the skies was won.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	19. Smell of Battle

"Planetary elite squad, assault these coordinates. All of them are high-value targets, so don't leave anything left of them. Be sure to save some fun for the rest of us," Queen Teach spoke in my ear as the fleet was ripped apart all around us. I saw a scrolling text on my scouter that highlighted several positions on the planet when I looked down on it. Using the coordinates to cross-reference the info I had downloaded into my scouter, I noted that most of them were factories while one was a research facility.

I nodded, waiting for Bardock to- right.

"Fasha and I will hit the lower left quadrant," Tora informed, his voice booming in my ear as he spoke as an oozaru. I winced, not only because of just how loud he was, but I realized what he was doing. He was assuming the role of the leader in this mission, to this squad. And he did it so naturally. Because it was natural for him, I reminded myself, he was the vice-captain for years, and the team was used to taking orders from him as he was to giving them.

For the briefest of seconds, I was struck with indecision. Should I let him be the leader? This wasn't the time for arguments or pissing contests, but if I let him be the leader now then it was going to be next to impossible for me to step later. My hands curled into fists as I tore off my breathing mask, gritting my teeth.

I had to step up.

"Take Shugesh with you," I ordered before Tora and Fasha could take off. I had to be a leader. I had to step up. "Borgos, and Fasha, you're with Matillo. The three of you will hit these coordinates," I told them while highlighting a major factory district. "Parslee, you're with Tora. I'll take these," I informed, highlighting the research facility.

""Of course, my prince-""

"We can hit more target before they can react if we break off in pairs," Tora argued while Matillo and Parslee agreed. I had to ruthlessly crush a flash of annoyance - I got it. He wanted to be the leader. He didn't want to follow the orders of a toddler. I understood. But now was not the time to argue.

"This is one of their industrial worlds, it's going to be crawling with scarabs. Three of you should be enough to stop yourself from getting overwhelmed, and I'll be close enough that you can reinforce me if I need it," I stated, trying my best to sound authoritative as I began to drift towards the planet.

Thankfully, there wasn't enough air to go around for him to argue with me further. With our coordinates set, we began to fly towards our targets. At the very least, we were able to travel at far faster speeds. I cut off my transformation, my body shrinking as I traveled through a cloud of smog.

Now that I was so close, I saw that the planet was one giant city. The districts seemed to take a circular pattern, some circles intersecting others. It was relatively easy to mark out where the important districts were from the clouds of smog that they were emitting. As soon as I entered the atmosphere, I performed a general scan centered on the research facility- both to pick up on power levels, and to see if I needed to worry about air.

80,000, 80,000, 80,000, 80,000, 80,000, 80,000, 80,000, 75,000, 75,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 50,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,00, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, 8,000, 8,000, 8,000, 4,000, 4,000, 4,000, 4,000, 4,000.

Oh.

Well...at least the air was breathable? Barely?

As soon as I performed the scan, it seemed to alert them to my presence. A small twinkle on the ground was all that alerted me to a giant beam of plasma that shot towards me, forcing me to fly to the side sharply. The attack missed me by hundreds of feet, but I felt my eyebrows singe from the intense heat that radiated from the beam that punched through the atmosphere and into the ships above. I'm not sure I was the target.

The beam of plasma was a prelude to what came next. The defensive positions went hot, lesser beams of plasma firing up while hundreds of missiles streaked upwards, each one a flash of light that seemed to glimmer on the metallic world. There were too many to keep track of, not all of them aimed at me, but it was impossible that they could miss me.

Undeterred, I continued downward as balls of ki formed in my hands. Thrusting my hands outward, I fired off dozens of ki blasts down at the missles, trying to clear a path for me to descend, all the while wondering if it would have been better to stick together instead of going off on my own as the odd man out.

Explosions lit up the sky, only they weren't of fire. A black mass erupted from some of the missiles that expanded outwards, almost as if it were a black hole. Then, in a wink, the mass was gone and so was everything that it had touched. Right. Don't let one of those touch me. Got it.

Despite the overwhelming firepower, I continued downward, punching my way through their offensive salvo. I couldn't warm up for this fight - there were too many scarabs down there for me to take out alone. I had to go full throttle, right out of the gate. I wasn't here for fights, but to take out an objective.

Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes for the briefest of seconds as I pulled from the immense well of power that resided inside of me. The power of the oozaru. It flooded my veins, my body, white-hot agony following wherever it went until pain was the only thing that I could feel. The rage touched my mind, darkening every thought with hate and the urge to destroy.

It was my second time entering the Wrath State - already, I could feel the well of power surging at my command easier, the rage and hate were easier to stave off, but the pain...It...It felt like I was a balloon, and the sea of ki that resided inside me was water. More and more and more of it filled me up, stretching me out until it felt like it was only a matter of time before I popped.

Gritting my teeth, My hands trembled as I placed them over my head, forming a massive ki attack. It rapidly grew until it was the same size as the one from D'xe, big enough to take out an entire city before I threw it down. The orb of purple ki sailed down, racing towards the planet, only for beams of plasma to slam into it, halting its decent.

Irritation fanned the flames of rage in my chest, my face twisting into a snarl, as I formed another on as I continued down. The first orb of ki wasn't just stopped, it was being pushed back. Gritting my teeth hard enough that they could break, I threw the second orb of ki into the back of the first, and only because they were both my attacks that neither exploded on contact. Instead, they merged together, growing larger and denser, which in turn made it harder for the Reach to push the attack back.

"Ka…," I started, cupping my hands at my side, "me...ha...me...HA!" I shouted, firing off another attack into the back of the massive orb of ki. This time, the orb surged forward, pushing through the streams of plasma that kept it aloft, before it began to race towards the ground. As it neared, my scouter picked up on a major energy reading, similar to the one that the giant pillar of plasma, just before it fired off.

Only it was too late. The orb of ki exploded similar to how I detonated my Hellzone Grenades, an explosion lighting up the sky, the ball of ki expanding much like those black hole missiles had, but a thousand times larger. I watched it grow, first claiming the tops of buildings, then expanding until it claimed a block, then another until the explosion kept growing and growing and growing, destroying more with every second.

I...might have overdone it. A little.

That thought managed to pierce my red-tinted vision as powerful winds buffeted against me hard enough I was actually pushed back by them. I squinted, watching the explosion of ki slowly fade away. For a moment, dust obscured the blast radius before it began to clear up enough to reveal a giant crater where the Reach's defensive position once was.

The damage was far beyond anything that I could have expected - the crater revealing that even hundreds of feet down there were still metal levels, and only then did it dawn on me what that meant. They didn't just cover the planet in factories, but they went deeper. For all I knew, the entire planet could be one great big factory.

"That's _*kssht*_ bo- _*kshhhhh*_" I heard Queen Teach shout in my ear and I could only hope it wasn't on general communications because that was the last thing that I needed. I frowned, glaring down at the crater, wondering where exactly the jammer was. Well, if I couldn't find it, then I guess I simply had to blow everything up until I could communicate with my team-

"Tarble!" Tora's voice rang out in my ear, making me pause as I started to form another ki blast, this one was going to be ten times bigger than the previous. "We _*kshhht*_ back-" Tora started to shout, only to be cut off by more static. I let the ki in my hands fade in favor of blasting off in the direction that Tora's team was in.

The round raced by me, and once I was clear of the crater I created, it was clear that where I landed wasn't the only place with defensive positions. As I blew past them, not bothering to weave out of the way of buildings, I fired ki blasts as I went. Smaller explosions ripped through cities, toppling buildings and sowing chaos wherever I went.

I never appreciated just how fast I was now, I mused with as a savage grin tugged at my lips. I broke through the sound barrier, raining fire upon the enemy, racing towards where my team needed me. Before, at my fastest, it would have taken me minutes to get to them. Now, it took seconds.

Less than a minute later, I spotted _my _team on the ground in their oozaru forms. Buzzing around them were a dozen scarabs, pinning them behind buildings and forcing them to accept the attacks of the pathetic machines to save their lives. I shouldn't have argued with Tora about how to split up the teams - I shouldn't have split us up at all.

My gaze landed on Shugesh his ratty old undersuit making him stand out. His oozaru form laid on the ground, protected by Tora and Parslee, but even from so far away I could see the broken and charred armor, no blood because the wound that punched through his stomach. He was still alive, judging from the rise and fall of his chest, but he was wounded. Possibly fatally.

I felt something inside of me snap at the sight, my power swelling as I shot forward, my vision going red as thoughts of hate and death filled my mind. A vanguard buzzed around, firing shots at _my_ team. Right up until I approached, the sound of the sound barrier breaking announced my presence, letting it turn around so it could look me in the eyes as I punched a hole in its chest. Green blood splashed out, coating my arm and soaking into my undersuit.

"Die" I snapped, grabbing the edge of the hole that I made and ripped the scarab in half. I tossed the two halves to the side, my opening moving putting the attention of other defenders solely on me. Perfect. They hurt Shugesh. My teammate. I'm thinking butchering a thousand scarabs would be a fitting way to repay such a thing. A dozen scout class scarabs turned towards me, their plasma blasters shining brightly but I didn't give them a chance to fire.

Closing the distance between us in the ink of an eye, I punched a blue scarab in the face, only for its head to be reduced to a fine green mist before I moved on to the next one. Only a month ago, the scout class scarabs could put up a fight against me. Maybe not a good one, but I couldn't defeat them with the ease that I now had.

No. Calling it a fight was too much. I butchered the dozen scouts within seconds, only one of them managing to get an attack off before I reduced it to ash was because of the vanguard units in a defensive position. They fired missiles, the same kind that had created those black holes. I met them halfway with ki blasted that detonated them prematurely.

They took out a block, the bases of buildings simply vanishing, leaving the rest to fall underneath Screw's gravity. The blasts would have consumed my team as well, but I moved in a blur, pushing the oozarus out of the way hard enough that they flew through another building. Shugesh landed heavily on another street, but he would be fine. I was going to make sure if it.

I surged forward, punching through the buildings that fell to the ground, each one shaking the planet as giant dust clouds formed with each one. I could barely see the ends of my arms, the dust was so thick, but they couldn't hide from my scouter. Racing towards the power levels, I formed twin Riot Javelins in my hands, impatient to just kill one at a time.

They could have killed my team. Because I didn't tell everyone to stay together. Because I wasn't here.

I'm going to reduce this planet to ashes.

Erupting from the heavy cloud of dust, I came face to face with a vanguard unit. Shifting my momentum, I flipped backward, my feet catching underneath its chin while it served as a convenient launching platform. Another three vanguards stood in position. There was a point where facing down three of them would have felt like a death sentence. Now, I was too pissed to care.

They fired off beams of plasma and at that moment I acted. Hooking my foot around the first vanguard's neck, I turned it into a convenient shield as I threw my Riot Javelins. A month ago, it took two of them to travel upstream before one of them reached the source. Now, I wasn't just stronger by a fourth. I was over ten times stronger. The vanguard units never stood a chance.

My attacks blasted through the beams of plasma, hardly slown down at all before they impacted the source. A large explosion desolated the defensive position, blasting me back as incredible heat washed over me. But, with most of my body covered, I paid it little mind as I quickly made sure the first vanguard unit was dead by ripping the scarab off of its back and crushing it.

My scouter picked up on one remaining vanguard unit. I turned towards it, idly noting that everything was on fire from the explosion. I was on fire too. Thick black smoke poured upwards as blue-tinted flames coated what was left of a defensive position. I curled my hands into fists, striding through the fire towards the scarab. The thing was damaged from the blast, likely from my attack rather than the explosion of plasma. It looked at me, one hand sluggishly moving upwards to attack.

I put an end to that by stomping on its head.

A dozen scouts and four vanguards. I think I killed them all in about thirty seconds.

Smiling savagely to myself, I turned to where I had thrown my team, blasting off and letting my scouter guide me to them. The speed that I traveled at put out the flames that coated me, and it only took a quick moment before I reached them. By that time, Shugesh had reverted to his base form and was holding a hand up to the hole in his stomach. Parslee broke off to fight a battle with another two vanguard's while Tora took up a position to protect Shugesh.

"Are you dead?" I asked, touching down- a stray plasma blast hit me in the back. Weak. From a scout. Whipping around, I glared murder at the offending scout before raising a hand before I killed it with a nameless attack. What did it think it was playing at, attacking- ah...thinking was...hard when every thought was tainted by frustration and rage, but I had a much better grip on it than last time.

They were attacking me because I was obviously a saiyan and I hadn't transformed yet. Or, rather, I hadn't transformed into a form that they recognized.

"No...don't think so," Shugesh answered my question as I turned my attention back to him. Even as he weakly held a hand over the hole in his sizable gut, I could see him giving me an analyzing look. It almost looked out of place on his usual careless face. "So that's the Wrath State, huh? Your eyes are really yellow."

"If you're not dying, then can you still fight?" I asked- no, even as I spoke, the harshness in my voice that hinted at the simmering rage that boiled in my veins made any question a demand. Shugesh seemed to hesitate at my demand, but when a vanguard unit hit Tora with a heavy blast of plasma, it splashing over his new model armor, which seemed to be designed to take hits from plasma, and threw Tora into a building.

"I can act as support," Shugesh answered with a nod, which I returned.

"Then we'll keep them off you," I told him, flying back up as I rushed towards the vanguard scarab. My scouter told me it was 60,000 pl, so Tora should be able to handle it. However, we didn't have time to mess around here. Since the coms were down, I didn't know if the others needed help or not but seeing just how fast Tora, Shugesh and Parslee got pinned, my hopes weren't exactly high.

The vanguard turned to me as if sensing my approach, its arms forming one massive plasma blaster. In that moment, I noticed something. Those missiles that formed black holes, and now the vanguard scarab wasn't making the really big plasma blaster that connected to its chest. It was rather obvious, now that I spotted it.

They didn't want to damage the surface of the planet. It wasn't just a shield to protect from radiation, but each building was...a cog in the machine. All of it, down to the smallest of buildings, from the highest space elevator to possibly the planet's core...all of it was one giant factory meant to churn out stuff. Weapons, supplies, parts, and tools. Each building was a cog in that machine, and the Reach was doing it's absolute best not to willingly damage a single cog.

That was hilarious.

What was the most destructive technique I could think of…?

"Destructo Disk," I announced, a ball of ki forming in my hand flattening as into a thin disk that spun so fast that it became jagged at the edges, forming teeth. Just as the scarab fired off a blast of plasma, I threw my attack, the disk rushing towards the scarab. It was no contest between my attack and its, like a log, my attack sawed through the plasma as it rushed towards the scarab.

It seemed to realize that, quickly cutting off the attack as it flew upwards, but not fast enough. My attack hit its knees, causing a chain reaction. It sliced through the nanite infused liquid metal, through flesh and bone, before it began to expand. Like an explosion, it only lasted for a moment, but the Destructo Disk shot outwards in every direction, cutting through buildings like they weren't even there.

Even better, because it hit at an angle, the buildings started to shift down, carried by a heavy gravity. As they began to fall, and as the vanguard was starting to cap off its missing legs, I blasted forward. It turned its attention to me, but it didn't try to fire off another shot. That alone raised a red flag in my rage clouded mind. I slammed a fist into its face, its jaw flying off but it lunged at me.

Memories surfaced of years ago, back when I was fighting saibamen. I knew exactly what it was trying to do.

I kicked it in its chest hard enough that it shot away from me, slamming through a building before it impacted the street behind it, bouncing like a skipping stone. Then, as I expected, the vanguard unit exploded, another massive black hole forming that grew so big that it ate up entire blocks. Everywhere the black hole touched was simply gone, forming a perfectly spherical crater that revealed more layers of the planet.

"I had that-" Tora started to inform, his voice booming as he spoke in his oozaru form, only to be drowned out by the sound of a dozen buildings falling to the ground- oh. One of them was a space elevator. I turned my attention, watching the thick, massive structure that once stretched all the way into space tip over and plummet back down to the ground. When it did, the planet shook upon the impact, and because of the ten times standard gravity, it broke apart as it fell so there were multiple impacts.

Taking a moment to admire my handiwork, I turned back to Tora and the others. The ones that Parslee was fighting were either dead, or they received the order to retreat. It didn't matter.

"We're regrouping with the others. Change back," I ordered, shouting loud enough that they could hear me over the sounds of chaos. It was incredibly difficult to read expression when they had a face like the oozaru did, but for a split second, I seemed like Tora was going to argue. He didn't in favor of obeying. That was good. I'm not sure what would have happened to him if he tried to subvert my authority with his bullshit.

Parslee heard the order as well, landing lightly as we let the heavy cloud of dust conceal us. This was no time for self-doubt. This was a time for action, to step up and be a leader. So, be a leader.

"We need to regroup and destroy the jammer," I started and maybe it was because of the red mist, but I didn't feel uncertain about giving orders. I didn't second guess them or myself because they were obviously the right call and I was too angry to bother with self-doubt. "Shugesh, I want you to fly back up to the fleet and use them to locate the jammer. The rest of us will reinforce the others. After we take out the jammer, then met up at the staging ground for the invasion."

Shugesh nodded, shifting from foot to foot. However, the fucking piece of shit-...Tora put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from taking off and I felt my blood boil in my veins. My growing rage didn't go unnoticed by Tora or Parslee, the former taking a step back while the latter simply looked concerned.

"Shugesh? Get. Going," I bit out, trying to put a lid on the pot of boiling rage in my chest. I took in a deep breath as he took off, heading back up into the skies. Our current orders were to hit their defenses to prep the invasion points, but there would be no point if we couldn't coordinate. "Wait-" I called out, making Shugesh paused. "Don't die. If you do, then I'll fucking kill you."

Despite the dust, I saw Shugesh grin at that. "Heh, don't worry about that. See you in a bit," with that, Shugesh blasted off back up to the skies.

Turning my attention back to the other two, I saw Tora shift ever so slightly. Not exactly taking a fighting stance but appeared ready to fight. Was I glaring at him? I was. Whatever, it doesn't matter. "Go limp," I ordered, making both saiyans blink in confusion and I gave them just enough time to share a look before I tackled them both before I took off. They were too slow in their base forms, even slower in their oozaru forms, and every second could determine if someone lived or died.

Distantly, I heard them screaming as I dragged them behind me, blasting through buildings and the sound barrier. Some defenses reacted in time to fire off a shot at me, and I returned the favor by throwing either Tora or Parslee ahead of me before blowing up a couple of blocks as we passed over. It was intoxicating, in a way, to feel just how powerful I had become. I wasn't mostly dead or going up against a Green Lantern, just scarabs and now that I was at my full strength, even stronger than before, it was...simply amazing.

It didn't take long to approach the location of the other team. I saw evidence of their struggle from far away - powerful blasts of plasma and ki lighting up the sky, explosions that flashed and thick black smoke that poured into the sky until it seemed to fill the sky above. Dozens of buildings lay in ruins, and in the distance, I saw the carcass of their objective. An anti orbital gun that was used to shoot down spaceships - as always, it looked like a giant metal thing with its mouth serving as the barrel of a giant plasma launcher. Well, used to, anyway.

To my surprise, the other half of my team seemed to be faring better than Tora, Shugesh, and Parslee. Matillo seemed to have taken charge in his stark white oozaru form, fire ki breath attacks that tore a line across buildings, blasting them away while he formed two more ki attacks with his hands. And now that I was so far away, I noticed that his ki breath attack was...narrow? It was still bigger than me, but it looked less like an unleashed torrent of ki and more of...an attack. Like the Kamehameha, or my Spiral Buster.

I put a pin in the thought in favor of searching for my other two teammates. It only took a moment to find them - Borgo's size made him noticeable, and Fasha was nearby, her hot pink undersuit making her just as eye-catching. Both of them stuck nearby to Matillo, running interference for him as he laid waste to the city, letting them take care of the scarabs attacking them.

"I'm going to drop you now," I informed the two, who looked like they had gone ten rounds with a special class scarab. They both looked up at me, their faces covered in sweat before their expressions morphed into ones of panic as I let go of them to rush to the defense of the others. They would be fine, all they had to do was look up at the Power Ball to transform and between the rest of us, they shouldn't have any issues.

"My prince," Matillo greeted, sounding at ease after he fired off a blast at the space elevator in the distance. Much like it had with me, the momentous structure began to tip over and break apart once it entered the planet's gravity well. "My apologies for taking so long to complete our objective, we encountered greater resistance than anticipated."

"You're not late," I informed, spotting buzzing around scout class trash. With a snarl, I eviscerated them with a well-placed ki blast. There wasn't even ash left of them as I helped thin out the herd. "They knocked out our coms, and I already had to bail out Tora and the others," I informed, earning a sharp look from Matillo as he threw his ki blasts. I've already seen them in action, but that was against a spaceship.

Now, I saw just how destructive the ki attacks that he formed in his hands. They were roughly the size of the one I had formed earlier, though not quite as powerful. They punched through buildings, only detonating once they were far enough away, taking out dozens of buildings in bright flashes that lite up the place.

I really needed to ask him about that. I thought that using ki how Matillo was doing it was impossible. The ki was too dense, too heavy to properly be channeled.

Matillo looked over at me sharply, opening his maw to ask a question, only to be hit in the face with a blast of plasma. He went down hard, the stench of burnt hair filling my nostrils as my heart went still in my chest. Even as he went down, I knew he was alive because he was already trying to regain his balance, but that didn't matter. My teammate was just injured right in front of me.

First Shugesh gets a hole in his gut when I'm not there, and now Matillo gets shot in the face.

They were going to die. Every single one of them.

I snarled, roaring my rage for the entire planet to hear as my power surged, flooding to my hands as I prepared an attack that would lay waste to everything. There were dozens of pieces of trash buzzing about, putting up a pathetic defense in a foolish attempt to keep us at bay. So many that I couldn't wipe them all away in a single attack. Or, rather, a single blast.

Throwing my hands out, I shot dozens of ki blasts from my hands, hundreds of them. Some punched through buildings, through scarabs and everything else that got in their way. I turned, firing in every direction, then, those that managed to dodge couldn't avoid what happened next.

"Hellzone Grenade," I snarled, the world becoming one great big explosion as I detonated the hundreds of balls of ki. Wind buffeted my face, my ears were ringing, but I was fine. I was better than fine, I was great! My scouter couldn't pick up any immediate threats - in one swoop, I killed them all. My team was safe.

Through the dust as buildings collapsed, too damaged to stand or knocked over by another, I turned to my team. My ears were still ringing, but I noticed that all of them had reverted to their base forms. My eyes landed on Fasha, who looked up at me with an expression filled with awe but tinged with fear.

"So...that's the Wrath State…" I read her lips, her expression mirrored on everyone's face except for Matillo's. He was simply smiling.

After that little tantrum, I felt the grip of rage lessen, letting me regain some control over myself. Taking in a deep breath, I flew over to my team, noting that Matillo looked fine, his transformation having healed the burn that he suffered. I might have overreacted. As I calmed myself, I glanced up and felt no small amount of relief to see that Shugesh was on his way down.

When he neared, I noticed that he had some kind of white foam where the hole in his gut was. I've never seen it before, but he wasn't holding the wound protectively anymore, so I'm guessing it was some kind of healing foam.

"Huh, you've been doing some work," Shugesh commented as he touched down, the entire team regrouping. His gaze landed on me, likely noting how only Matillo stood next to me while the others stood some distance away. I couldn't blame them for that - my hands shook with anger, my deep and even breathing told everyone that I was one wrong word from flipping out again.

"Where," I started, biting the word out despite my best efforts to calm myself down. "Is the jammer?" I demanded to know, my hands curled into fists, only for me to force myself to unclench them. Standing still was actually worse for me, I was quickly learning. When I was fighting, I had an outlet for the dark emotions swirling in my chest, but when I was standing still, twidling my fucking thumbs, it was just frustrating. That frustration turned into more rage, which made the frustration worse and that made more rage.

Shugesh glanced over at Tora and I just about leaped at him. I might have if Matillo hadn't placed a hand on my shoulder, taking a knee so he could. The contact was enough to bring me back, and Shugesh quickly rattled off our orders, my growing anger not being missed by him. "Uh, the tech guys rattled off a bunch of tech-talk, but they think that the jammer is coming from the center of the planet."

I perked up at that, prompting him to continue in a rush. "The jamming field covers the entire planet, but they sounded pretty sure that it was coming from the core of the planet. The Reach hollowed it out, or something."

So I was right. The levels that I saw earlier, they went all the way down. This wasn't a planet anymore, not in the terms of a giant asteroid that lucked out to be just close enough to a sun. This massive planet was one giant factory, through and through. No wonder it could produce such a significant portion to the war effort on the Reach's side.

"But," Shugesh continued, "Queen Teach told me to tell you that they're going to be sending in the troops." He informed, making me frown. With the jammer up, then they would just get slaughtered- "She said taking out the jammer was our highest priority, and to take it out now."

Despite the rage, I felt a weight settle on my shoulders. Not just for my team, but for the entire army. At the very least, a million lives now counted on me and my team to take out the jammer before they got wiped out. They wouldn't be able to coordinate, from high command to squads like ours. Without fail, every single one of them would die if we didn't take it out fast enough.

"Then what are we standing around for?"

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my , so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	20. Smell of War

"We need to find a way down," I decided, glad to be moving on to our next goal, even if it was a timed objective. The only question was how to find an easy way down because I highly doubt that we could ask anyone for directions. I flew up, punching through a dense cloud of smoke and dust while the others followed me up slowly. Or, rather, I was moving too fast. I flew over the city, looking over at the endless skyline that made up the horizon.

We didn't have the time to search the entire planet for a secret entrance, and time was of the essence. Where could the entrance be though, I wondered, my gaze searching for an obvious sign. I don't even know what I was looking for - maybe an actual neon sign announcing the presence of a tunnel that would take us down to the center of the planet. It was ridiculous, but I was at a loss on what to do.

"Maybe we should make our own way down?" Tora spoke up, likely realizing the same issue that I was struggling with. I fought back a surge of irritation, something that didn't go unnoticed by him or the others. They tried to be subtle about it, but I didn't miss their shared glance. Even Borgos was looking at me warily.

I uncurled my fist, forcing myself to calm down even as rage bubbled in my chest, fueled by pain and frustration. "We can't," I shot the idea down, trying and failing to stop myself from snapping at him. "It would take too long, and we could destroy the planet's core on accident. Lord Frieza forbade any action that would permanently decrease the value of a planet."

Tora frowned at me, his gaze drifting over Parslee and Matillo, both who met his gaze evenly. "Then what do we do?" He asked, knowing that I didn't have an answer. That pot of bubbling rage in my chest surged - it took absolutely everything that I had not to lash out at the question. Was he asking that to undermine me since he knew I didn't know the answer? Was he trying to make me look weak, indecisive? Was he trying to become the leader of this team even though Lord Frieza put me in charge?

Or was the question an honest one without ulterior motives?

"I…" I trailed off, feeling their expectations on me like a physical weight. It settled on my shoulders heavily, alongside the responsibility for a million soldiers. I curled my hands back into fists, though this time not out of anger with Tora, but to myself. I wanted to be the leader, I wanted to step up, and now it was time for me to be a leader, to prove that I could be one just as good as Bardock, I was stumbling.

My gaze swept past my team, unable to meet their eyes as my mind raced. It landed on the fallen remains of the space elevator that Matillo had taken down earlier. A heavy dust cloud hung in the air, and I knew it would be some time before it settled. A thought struck me as I looked at it - this planet was a well-oiled machine, and machines were all about efficiency.

Space elevators were used to transport goods through gravity without the use of transports. As the name implies, they were literally an elevator that took someone into space. They were used to go up...but elevators could also be used to go down. It made sense - if the lower levels of the planet served as factories, then they would naturally need a way to get them back to the surface, and it was a lot more efficient to build one single elevator that could take them directly to a transport waiting for a shipment in space.

"The space elevator," I decided to take the gamble, looking at my team. Tora had followed my gaze before he nodded, agreeing with me. "Follow me as closely as you can. I'll clear the way," I told them, getting a 'yes, my prince' from Matillo and Parslee. My gaze landed on Tora, lingering on him for just a moment. His gaze met mine, and for the briefest of seconds, an expression passed over his face that could only be described as nervous.

Without another word, I blasted off towards the ruined space elevator. I spotted defensive positions, lesser ones since Matillo and the others had done a pretty good job of wrecking their main stronghold, but I destroyed them all the same. Anything that could get in our way, scarabs, tanks or buildings, I laid waste to them all. Ki blasts fired from my hands in a continuous streak, blowing up buildings and streets.

Scarabs were the tip of the Reach's sword, but they were hardly the only equipment that they had. Tanks divisions rolled down the street, mechanical soldiers attempted to secure positions as they began sudden preparations for repelling an assault. I destroyed it all - buildings, equipment, and soldiers alike. And there was nothing they could do to stop me.

Leaving devastation in my wake, I neared the space elevator, the structure far more gigantic than I could have ever imagined. Evidence of its fall could be seen far from the point of impact where winds were powerful enough to knock over buildings. The gravity on Skrew was ten times the galactic standard, the same as Planet Vegeta, so to support such a tall tower, the elevator was...utterly gigantic. And when it fell, it fell from the atmosphere, going from weightless to hundreds of thousands of tons.

I went to the base of it, seeing that was still standing while I checked out to see if there was anything left of the defenses. If there were, then they were gone now.

Right. Now, for the moment of truth.

"Ka...me...hame...ha!" I launched the Kamehameha at what was left of the giant structure, even what was left of the base was worthy to be called a skyscraper. It crumbled underneath my attack, enveloped in a light for a moment and by the time I stopped, what was left of the space elevator was gone. Flying over to it…

I nearly fell out of the sky I was so relieved to see a pitch-black tunnel that likely leads to the center of the planet. There were lights that lined the metallic walls, but the tunnel went so far down that I couldn't see them. And considering how good my eyesight was, that was saying something.

"How are we looking," Shugesh asked, sweating ever so slightly as the others approached. My gaze dipped down to the hole in his stomach filled with that foam - I was going to have to keep a close eye on him and make sure that he didn't push himself too hard. I gestured to the hole, making everyone's gaze widen. I fought off a smirk as I turned my gaze towards it as well.

"Nice guess, Tarble," Fasha commented, and this time I couldn't stop it as she reached over and patted me on the back.

"Let's go," I started, descending into the tunnel first. As much as I wanted to bask in the fact that I was right, that I made the right call, we were still on a time limit. It didn't take long for us to plunge into darkness, leaving the light a distant thing above as we traveled miles down the elevator shaft. Every hundred or so feet were four doors, one for each direction. The elevator shaft itself was around two hundred yards in every direction in a perfect circle.

It didn't take us long to realize there was an issue the further we went down. The darkness grew heavier and denser until we could barely see one another in the low light. The air itself got thinner, or, rather, there was more carbon dioxide since it settled down here, forcing us to put on our masks and tap into our oxygen reserves.

"It's getting way too dark down here. Did anyone bring a flashlight?" I asked, the anticipation torturous. Every second, I expected something. For every inch we descended, I expected the alarms to go off, for swarms of scarabs to come flying out so that we were completely surrounded. Only for nothing to happen.

"What's a flashlight?" Fasha asked, sharking a look with Shugesh, who shrugged.

"Something that will help us see?" I tried again, getting nos around. I frowned as we continued to descend, glancing over my shoulder to see the entrance was becoming a spec in the distance. We...had to be hundreds of miles beneath the surface at this point. Far too late make a trip up to grab a floodlight or something.

But...if we didn't have a flashlight...then I guess I would just have to make one. I thought about it for a moment, picturing how it would look like in my head before I summoned upon my ki.

It was just like doing a Solar Flare, but only sustained and weaker. Light began to emit from my body, piercing the harsh darkness around us, pushing it back so that we could see each other. I saw Tora wince at the sudden light, so I dialed it back a bit until it was a perfect blend of letting us see each other and our immediate surroundings.

"Well done, my prince," Matillo praised, nodding in my direction as we continued to fly down. "You seem to be a well of techniques," he commented, making pride swell in my chest.

"He kinda always has been," Fasha commented, "the Solar Flare, Hellzone Grenade, Kamehameha, Spiral Buster…"

"The Destructo Disk," Tora continued, sounding amused despite himself. "Saw that one in action for the first time earlier."

"Didn't you mention something about a Special Beam Cannon?" Shugesh, joining in - they were teasing me, much like they had done before, but now it left me feeling uncertain. Before I was the kid of the team, the new guy, and now I was the leader. Should I shut it down? They teased Bardock too, but he was the undisputed leader of the team, not running his first mission as a four-year-old.

"Oh, and what about...the...ah, Tri-beam?" Fasha continued, sounding amused. "I heard you mention it once, but I don't think we've ever seen you use it." She pointed out, her tone the same as it ever was, but things were different now. I opened my mouth...to shut it down, only to pause when I caught a look from Matillo. I couldn't see his face because of the mask, but if I had to describe the look he was giving me, it was an understanding. He gave me a soft nod.

… "Because I haven't used them yet," I said instead, accepting the teasing. I let the anger go, and I felt my grip tighten on the rage of the oozaru. "I'm saving them for special occasions when one of my other techniques fail."

"Heh," Shugesh chuckled, "good luck with that. With the Wrath State...well, give it a couple of years then I'm not sure you're going to get a chance." He said and it took me a moment to understand that he was complimenting.

"Wait, does the Wrath State count as a technique? Because I was talking about energy blasts. If we're opening up the door to those kinds of abilities, then the list is going to get a lot longer. He was trying to describe this mental trick to me a while ago-" Tora continued, only to be cut off as a sound echoed in the tunnel. I looked down just in time to see a bright red ray race up towards us.

I dodged out of the way, watching it rush by exactly where my head had been a split second earlier before I looked down. In the heavy darkness, even the smallest bits of light shone like stars in the night sky. Only these lights were a cherry red and they lined the walls, hundreds of them and every single one was the barrel of a gun.

"Take cover in the walls," I ordered, forming ki balls in my hand before I launched dozens of ki blasts right back at the defensive turrets. As my team rushed to obey my order, blasting out a door to avoid the beams and hopefully out of harm's way. Explosions wracked the walls, turrets exploding as I weaved my way between the hundreds of red rays that rushed upwards.

"I'm guessing we're close," I shouted, throwing a blast that took out a dozen turrets at once in exchange for a ray slamming into my stomach. If it hurt, I couldn't tell from the constant pain my body was in that I was able to ignore.

"Be careful not to destabilize the tunnel, my prince," Matillo called out, my team poking their heads out to fire down at the tunnels. I grit my teeth in annoyance because he was right. Too big of a blast down here could collapse the tunnel and given that it went all the way down to the center of the planet, then I really don't know what the after-effects of that would be.

Dozens of red rays raced towards me with dozens more following every second, leaving me little room to maneuver even as I fired back to thin the defenses. My rage fought against my grip on it, frustrated with the sudden halt of progress. It was going to take too long to destroy them all.

"We have to push through," I shouted, unable to think of anything else. There were hundreds firing at us, and I'm guessing that would continue all the way down. We couldn't afford to stop here.

"We'll be shot to pieces," Tora shouted, firing down from his own...huh. An idea struck me as I looked at the warped metal that was a door to the floor. It was a thick, solid metal that seemed to be made of the same stuff the space elevator. Even better, since there were four doors, we would have just about every direction covered.

"Tear off the doors," I ordered, "Matillo, you're bottom. Tora, left, Fasha, right, Borgos you get top. We'll use them as shields." I stated, and my team jumped to obey. They ripped the metal doors from the hinges, making quick work of it before they fell into place. The metal door took the hits, small thumps under foot when I settled on it as Matillo kept it in place, his fingers digging into the metal.

Our front and back were left exposed, but that was manageable.

One my entire team was in position, with me taking our front while Parslee and Shugesh covering our back, I gave the order. "Let us fall, Matillo."

We began to plummet down, the doors serving as a shield as I fired at the walls as we went, destroying them before they could get a shot off. The sounds of the rays of light hammering at the shield filled the tunnel, echoing down it as we slowly gained speed as Matillo helped us fall a little faster. But, even with the extra speed, we fell for minutes.

And we kept falling.

And kept falling.

And kept falling.

And we fell some more.

Then we fell even more.

And kept falling.

It was impossible to tell just how long we fell for, but it was too long. If it wasn't for the fact that I kept having to destroy turrets, I would have thought we weren't falling at all. The longer we fell, the hotter the metal plates became superheated from the red rays until in some places they began to glow a bright red. No one complained, so I could only hope that they were handling the pain.

Then, without any warning, we slammed into something. It would have been a bad crash if we couldn't fly, but other than a jarring impact, we were all fine. Taking that as our exit, I darted out and started destroying turrets, trying to give us some breathing room, Parslee doing the same as we laid waste to the defensive turrets. I took the time to see what we hit.

It was a giant door, and it seemed fairly thick considering that there wasn't even a dent from our impact. The others kept the shield up while I saw a faint glow of a ki attack being formed, so one of the others was about to blast their way in. Explosions lit up the dark tunnel, enough so I was able to stop shining like a light for a time. It bought us some breathing room before I heard Tora shout out to us.

"We're through," he yelled out, making me dart back down to the shield to see that they made a hole in the door. It was a lot thicker than I expected, over three feet of solid metal, but it seems that wouldn't stop us. Matillo, Shugesh, and Fasha were already down there. I gestured for Tora, Borgos, and Parslee to go next, leaving me to bring up the rear.

The other shields fell, revealing a badly damaged surface, but they were thick enough that it hadn't mattered. Using the one that served as our top, I grabbed a hold of it and used it to cover the hole. Touching down, I realized that we were in a room - an airlock that the elevator was meant to go through, while the steady thump against the makeshift patch broke the silence.

Finally, I let my glow stop since the room itself was dimly lit by an alarm system. My gaze landed on a door in front of us, similar to the one we just busted through but it was undoubtedly the entrance to the base. I could practically feel it, like an itch on my skin, that there were powerful opponents on the other side of the door. We were in the right place.

Taking in a deep breath to resecure my grip on my rage, I let it out slowly. What would Bardock do in this situation? They would be ready for us on the other side of the door and, if this place deserved the kind of defenses that it had, then they were going to break out the big guns. Those missiles that deleted everything they touched, or...a special-class scarab.

The answer was obvious.

"We're making our own entrance," I informed them, glaring at the door, wondering what kind of enemy stood on the other side. We would find out soon enough. My team nodded, understanding what I was getting at - it was a common tactic used by Bardock. Never be where the enemy expects you to be and never hit them where they expect to get hit. Matillo and Parslee followed suit, ki blasts forming in their hands.

Then, on my mark, we made a new entrance. We attacked the walls, bypassing the door entirely. The dense metal that protected the base in the planet's core was no match for us, and within a moment we were inside. I spearheaded the charge, so it was me who first saw what we were up against. We were right to go around them because they were entrenched.

The area was a large lobby that wouldn't look out of place at a bank - furniture to sit on, white tiled floors, potted plants, funny looking artwork on the walls with a front service desk at the front. I would say that it looked out of place that supposedly harbored a jammer that could cut off our communications planetwide if it wasn't for the makeshift defenses. There was the standard stuff - forcefields to act as cover, dozens of soldiers spread out in defensive positions, but that's not what my gaze found itself drawn to.

A black and purple scarab that stood at the center of it all - its arms were plasma blasters, but along its shoulders were miniature cannons filled with what I'm guessing was enough artillery that could kill us. Its armor was bulkier than a vanguard, especially around the chest portion, while it yellow eyes stared blankly ahead. I made a snap decision as soon as I saw it - there was no way that the others stood a chance against that thing.

120,000.

I probably didn't stand a chance against that thing, I amended as I shouted my next order. "I'll cover the rear - the rest of you find the jammer!" I ordered, rushing forward as the defenses. "And stick together!" I added, firing off a ki blast as one of the missiles in the special-class scarab shoulder raced towards me. It detonated, filling my vision with a deep black void that erased everything that it touched. So, I was right. How unfortunate.

"Leave it to us," Fasha confirmed as my team rushed down a hallway, blasting through whatever soldiers were there while I rushed towards the scarab as it reacted to our presence. It aimed a plasma blaster in their direction, a deep blue torrent of it escaping the barrel before I kicked it to the side, drawing a line across the lobby. The defenses were reduced to ash - the front desk was gone, the force fields wilted under a glancing blow and everyone behind them died a quick death. The metal glowed a bright red where it was melted into slag, dripping onto the floor, and for a split second, I wondered if it had just cut the base in half but I pushed the worry to the side as I spun, aiming to kick the scarabs head off.

It dodged out of the way with ease, backing up to put some distance between us, and it was obvious what it was planning. It wanted to hit me with one of those eraser bombs, and I doubt anyone was tough enough to tank one of those to the face. I pressed forward, lashing out with a fist to keep in engaged in close quarters combat, so unless it wanted to kill itself it couldn't use the missiles.

The shoulder-mounted cannons melted into its armor as its hands transformed into weapons. However, instead of forming a sword like so many scarabs seemed to favor, the plasma blasters narrowed in shape. Then with a sound that seemed to echo in the lobby, the only sounds coming from my team fighting their way through the base in the distance, a bright blue beam emerged from the emitter.

I knew exactly what it was despite having never seen it before in my life.

A lightsaber.

It slashed at me with them both as I flipped out of the way, narrowly missing being bisected in half only to have to dodge a thrust that nearly skewered me. As I jerked my stomach out of the way, narrowly missing the thrust, I formed a ki blast in my hand and launched it from my palm at the emitter of the lightsaber. It moved the weapon out of the way as it struck out, slashing to the side as my weak attack impacted against its chest, any damage it did being smoothed over the same moment that I dodged out of the way.

I couldn't use my full-powered techniques, I realized with more than a little annoyance as I was forced to dodge the beam of plasma. Worse, I couldn't afford any distance being put between us or I could find myself erased from existence. With a snarl twisting my face, I formed to ki blades around my hands, shaping them until they matched the length of short swords. Mostly because my arms were too short for anything else.

Pushing the scarab, I slashed with a hand, ki and plasma meeting in a shower of sparks and a flash of light. My ki began to give way, so I reinforced it with more, making it denser and heavier, but that was fine. A growl escaped me as I pushed its weapon to the side as I lashed out at its head, attempting to take it off with a single swipe, only to be forced to block when its other hand became another lightsaber.

It was faster than me, I realized as I was forced onto the defense again, blocking blows that came within a hair's breadth away from bisecting me. And better at swordplay as it nearly took my nose off as I made a lunge to take off its arm. The only thing keeping me alive was my reflexes.

Snarling behind my mask, glaring at the scarab's dull yellow eyes that betrayed no emotion, I realized that I couldn't win like this. All it would take was one mistake, and I would lose a limb in the best-case scenario. I...I had to get off the defensive, but how? Gritting my teeth, I slashed at the scarabs head, blocking a swipe with one hand only to have my own attack blocked. I lashed out with a foot, kicking at the scarab, and nearly lost the limb when the scarab twisted a blade downward to make a quick strike at me.

I would have lost it if I hadn't followed the momentum of the kick to do a quick front flip, breaking the deadlock. I raised both my hands over my head and brought them down on the scarab, its two lightsabers going into an X formation to catch them. Our eyes met again and I felt my blood boil in my veins at the dull gaze that stared back at me.

This wasn't working. What else could I do? What would Bardock do in this situation? How would he win? I was putting up a fight, but I was losing. Slowly but surely, my misses were getting narrower and my attacks got further and further away from landing. I needed...to attack where it didn't expect. How?

An image appeared in my mind and my snarl became a feral grin.

Keeping one ki blade in the X, I thrust downwards with the other, forcing it to dodge out of the way while it's blades closed in on my arm. I pulled it back, buying me a moment to summon upon the well of ki inside of me - I pictured it pooling in my stomach as I went back in to fight. I touched down onto the floor, swiping at its legs, only to be blocked yet again. The pressure from the ki began to build in my stomach as I locked down one blade and blocked another.

Then I let it out by opening my mouth. Ki traveled up my throat and out of my mouth, exactly how it would if I were an oozaru. It wasn't the focused beam that Matillo could do, but it did the job. Dark purple ki erupted from my mouth, tearing through my mask and slamming into the midsection of the scarab. At this close, the torrent of ki ripped through the scarab rather than knocking it back, punching through its torso and scarab backpack.

The scarab went still as soon as I cut the attack off, realizing that it punched through the door behind it and into the wall as well. It was an instant kill shot. The special-class scarab fell to its knees, still looking down at me before it fell on its face, dead. A lone green puddle formed where it laid, it's armor dripping off of it to join the puddle of blood.

I did it. I killed a special-class scarab. On my own. I was probably the first Saiyan to manage such a feat. And yet, before I turned away, I couldn't help but feel...disappointed. Not by the strength of the scarab, who was stronger than me by a third, but...with the victory itself.

It was trying to avoid collateral damage, so it could only fight with a fraction of its strength, just as I was. I won because it couldn't go all out.

But now wasn't the time for regrets or wishes for a better fight. I had a mission to complete.

I turned away from the corpse, checking over my shoulder for no last-second surprises before I took off to chase after my team. It was easy to follow their tracks, all I had to do was look around for broken walls, busted doors, and massacred soldiers. As I raced through the halls, something became very clear.

This wasn't a military base, I realized as I flew by a window that was filled with dead aliens dressed in uniforms that didn't look like the traditional Reach armor. They died huddled up in a corner, practically on top of each other, before they were executed. The rooms themselves reminded me of the Nursery - medical equipment, testing areas, consoles to read information and so on.

"It's a research facility," I breathed, blasting through hallways, spotting more testing areas as I entered another wing of the base. I saw experiments laid on tables, prototypes of machines and more. I didn't even understand what I was looking at half the time as I raced by, following the carnage my team left in its wake.

I nearly put the revelation out of my mind, only to pause when I went to do a general scan to make sure I was going the right way towards my team. Instead of doing the scan, my finger touched the port that the technician had told me about. He made it so I could download Reach info...but, I had a mission to take care of. If there was time, then maybe, but not until I took out the jammer.

"P-please don't kill me!" I heard a voice I didn't recognize wail as I neared, so it must be an alien. I slowed down, touching down onto the floor, idly glancing at the butchered soldiers. If the others were bothering to ask questions, then I'm guessing that they were guards. I walked down the hallway, turning the corner and-

I jerked my head out of the way of a ki blast, Fasha the culprit if the wide-eyed expression she gave me was any indication. Forcing myself to think that it was a mistake, I nodded at her before my gaze landed on the others. They all looked fine, so it seemed that their first line of defense was their last line of defense. They were standing guard while Tora stood over a lime green alien that had some kind of exoskeleton instead of skin, though it darkened on its chest, much like the scarabs did.

"Is the special-class scarab dead already?" Shugesh asked, his eyebrows climbing up to his hairline as I calmly walked forward, my gaze lingering on the alien. It took a moment to place it simply because they were so rare, but I knew what it was. It was a Reach alien, as in the original species that started the Reach empire.

We really did catch them off guard with this.

"Yeah, it's dead," I informed before jerking my head at the alien. "Who's that?" I asked Tora, making him step back as I approached, the Reach alien looking up at me with naked terror. Body language was difficult to read on other aliens, but it looked enough like a saiyan for me to tell that it was scared.

"Leader of this place," Tora informed. "We caught it trying to escape and I was trying to get some information about where the jammer is." I nodded, coming to a stop in front of the alien, and, to my annoyance, even slouched against the wall, cowering in fear, it was still taller than me.

"The jammer?" It echoed, looking between me and Tora as if it couldn't tell which of us was the leader. Eventually, its eyes settled on me, "I can tell you where that is. Just...just don't kill me," it begged, flinching when I frowned at it. It was...selling out the planet to save its own skin. One of their most fortified worlds left in the sector, one of the biggest industrial sites they had, and it was giving it to us on a silver platter.

But...I suppose cowardice has its uses too.

"Fine," I agreed with a nod of my head.

"Tarble-" Tora started to argue while the others shifted at how easily agreed to the terms, only I silenced him with a look. He flinched back, looking down at me with a wary expression and it was only then that I realized I was glaring at him. I took in a deep breath and let it out before I turned my attention back to the alien.

"You want to live?" I asked, getting a wary nod, the alien was apparently smart enough to know that a but was coming. "But, you're going to have to do some things for us. You're going to lead us to the jammer...then, you're going to lead us to a database that has everything that you've been working on here." I'm not sure if I used the word database correctly, but a place where all the data would be gathered.

At that, the alien stilled and my smile grew. It seems that it either wasn't as afraid as it pretended to be...or there was something that the Reach really didn't want us to get our hands on. Which means I wanted it.

"What's so important about the databanks?" Tora questioned, sounding unhappy with the change in plan.

"That they don't want us to have them," I answered, taking a threatening step forward, making the alien flinch. I needed to be intimidating like Bardock would be in this situation. He would make the alien so scared that it couldn't even think about trying anything. "So, here's how it's going to be. You're going to take us to the servers of this place and the jammer, and you get to live."

I formed a ki ball in my hands, looking at the alien dead in the eyes and I could see the fear in them. "And if you try anything, we're going to eat you. Alive," I threatened, and I'm pretty sure my threatening tone was undercut by Fasha stifling a giggle, but it didn't matter. The alien looked about ready to soil itself out of fear, and I knew it would do whatever we wanted it to.

"R-r-r-r-right," it stuttered out, "the...the jammer is-"

"No," I cut it off, "you're going to show us where they are. If you're lying or leading us into a trap…" I trailed off, a warning in my tone.

"I always wondered what your species tasted like. You're so rare, I'd bet you'd be a delicacy," Borgos spoke up, a rarity for him. And, despite knowing him for years, I still thought that his voice didn't match his face or body type at all. Even still, the alien shivered as I hauled it up before throwing it at Tora.

"Are you unharmed, my prince?" Matillo asked quietly as he fell in line next to me, the question catching me off guard. I...don't think anyone had ever asked me that before. At the very least, not in this life.

I nodded as we flew through the tunnels, "I'm fine. It was a disappointing fight, to be honest." I said, making Shugesh snort behind us.

"Disappointing he says. Against a special-class scarab," he commented to Fasha, who still looked far too amused for her own good. "Hey, I didn't get a chance to scan it. What was it's power level?" He asked as we took a turn, leading us down a wide-open hallway. I'm guessing it was one of the main ones in this place.

"...A hundred and twenty thousand," I answered after a moment, making Shugesh sputter while Fasha's amused look morphed into naked shock. I glanced at Matillo, enjoying my teammate's reactions, and noticed that his expression was...proud? He smiled at me and I found myself looking away, distracting myself with the task at hand.

It didn't take us long to reach a set of serious-looking bulkhead doors. We approached cautiously, wary of a trap but as Matillo stepped forward and started to pry the doors open, it proved to be unnecessary. There were no defenses here because we already blew past them.

"Securities pretty lax," Fasha noted as we stepped inside eyeing a giant machine that took up most of the room. It was a giant ball spinning really fast, the low red light giving the room an ominous feel to it but it was...kinda a letdown, to be honest. I don't know what I expected a jammer capable of taking out our coms planet wide but a spinning ball wasn't it.

"We...were in the process of transferring to a different facility. We thought we would have more time to do so-" the alien answered the question, only to cut itself off when I raised a hand and blew up the jammer. A small ki blast at the base of the needle-like platform, making it blow up before the ball fell over.

Well. That takes care of that.

"Y-you!" It started, gaping at me as everyone else filed out of the room, dragging the gaping creature. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!" It shouted at me, looking distressed. "That was maerdium ore, one of the rarest metals in the universe-"

"No," I growled at it before I pressed down on my scouter, "testing. This is Tarble of the Planetary elite squad, does anyone read me?" I asked, waiting for a few seconds before repeating myself. The answer was the same both times. Dead silence. Slowly, I turned to the Reach alien, making it flinch back in fear so badly it nearly fell. It would have if Tora wasn't keeping it up by grabbing it by the back of its neck.

"It's because we're in the center of a planet!" It cried, sounding frustrated and afraid as it struggled in Tora's grip. "Of course they can't hear you, you-" It cut itself off when Tora squeezed a little, making the alien cry out in pain as it clawed at Tora's hands.

Right. That actually made sense. "I'll go to the servers, the rest of you go topside. Get in contact with the fleet and get our orders. I'll meet you there in a few," I ordered, getting a nod from Matillo and Parslee. However, my team lingered, and I met Tora's gaze. I watched him swallow a sigh before he gave a small nod, and it didn't escape me, even as angry as I was, that the rest of my team didn't start to leave until he did.

Swallowing my anger, I grabbed the alien, "now, where are those servers?" I demanded, lifting the alien up. It was quick to point me in the right direction, all the while my mind raced, moving on to the next step. Now, we had to either take the planet or damage enough to severely hamper production. Preferably, we would take it then repurpose it for the Frieza-force, but, given the sheer amount of resistance we've encountered, I doubt that we had the forces to take it.

Given that I was currently the only one that could fight against the special-class scarabs...no matter how I looked at it, the only chance we had was if I taught the Wrath State to the others. I couldn't take the entire planet by myself, but with a team of people that could fight the same level as I can? That could be a different story.

"We're here," the alien informed, trying to muster up as much dignity as it could. I eyed the room - the walls were made of some kind of crystal that glowed a cool blue. They were shaped in tall towers, and there were about a dozen of them. I'm guessing that these were the servers. I stepped to one, noting that towards the base, it was an odd blend of machine and crystal as if the crystals themselves were growing out of the machines.

I pulled a wire from my scouter and found a port, exactly like the technician said. An option to download appeared on my screen and I clicked yes. The crystals hue changed from a cool blue to a deep green as the information stored on the servers made its way onto the scouter. I heard a sharp intake of breath from the Reach alien, to see he was staring at me not with fear, but pure panic.

"You're not here to destroy the information?" It asked itself more than it asked me, its tone filled with dawning horror. "But you're...a saiyan!" It accused, spitting the word out like a curse. Ah. So that's how it was. I guess I was acting rather outside of the norm for my species.

"No," I answered simply, making a note of what they were working on here. The projects seemed to be diverse - from new kinds of space ships, improving jump drives, testing new weapons, inventing new manufacturing techniques, and efficient storage. Apparently, they had something called a capsule that was about the size of my finger that could store a two-story house. I didn't know a lot about tech, or at all really, but it sounded cutting edge.

Even still, I paid attention to the alien, who it seemed to dawn on it just how badly it miscalculated. I wasn't destroying what seemed to be years of progress, I was taking it. I wonder how long it would be until the Frieza-force adapted this stuff to our own forces?

"I…" The alien started, only to trail off, realizing it was far too late to take a stand now. More info downloaded into my scouter and it was only when I noticed that I was only ten percent done with the download that I understood just how deep of a well of knowledge I had stumbled upon. There were designs for foundries that would travel the stars, breaking apart planets and asteroids for raw materials to 3D-print them into fleets. There were designs of the jammer that I blew up, its strengths and weaknesses…

And there was more. So much more. I wouldn't be able to use much of it, but someone in the Frieza-force could.

We fell into an uneasy silence, the alien's head in its hands as it came to terms with its mistake. It took nearly ten minutes for me to download everything, and with that, I unhooked my scouter and turned towards the alien. It swallowed thickly as it met my gaze, "you said you would let me live," it reminded and I had to fight off a sneer at how cowardly it was. Even now, it was still looking out for itself.

It didn't just damn this planet, but it would have damned dozens. Hundreds, even. And it was still more concerned with its life.

My mouth opened to tell it that it could start running since I no longer needed the alien, but I stopped myself. The Reach species were rare and when they did pop up, it was exclusively in positions of high power. The alien was a coward, but it could be a useful one. As a prisoner.

"I did," I informed, darting forward and chopping the alien on the neck, making the alien collapse into a heap before I caught it. I pushed my dislike for the lie to the side - I was team captain now, and that meant doing things I didn't like for the benefit of the team. I mean, I did tell the truth, just keeping to the words of the promise instead of the spirit.

As I flew away from the servers, I made sure to blow them up just in case they were the only copies, though I doubted that was the case. I flew through the tunnel, easily finding my way back to the main entrance. After that, with the alien hanging off my shoulder, I took in a deep breath, braced myself before I launched myself upwards. I raced up the tunnel, shattering the speeds we had descended so that the turrets barely had time to react before I was rushing past them.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel grew nearer with every second, and, slowly, I heard my scouter flare to life.

"*kssht-tact! *ksssht*-rea-*kssht*!" I heard someone shout through the heavy static. As I raced upwards, the static began to lessen.

"*ksssht*- son is- *kssht*- there!" I'm pretty sure Queen Teach shouted, her tone furious. "Mobilize -kssht- fleet! Battle stations!" My eyes narrowed as I forced myself to go even faster, shattering the sound barrier as I raced towards the exit. It was patchy, but it was clear something had happened while we were down there.

It only took a few moments to reach the exit, and it was then that I had my answer.

Our fleet hovered in low orbit, in position to bombard the planet. The ships seemed to dominate the horizon, barely visible because of the heavy clouds of smog. Even though those clouds of smog, dust, and smoke, I caught flashes of light. Our fleet was being engaged. Numbly, I became aware of my team appearing behind me, watching in silence as a battle for the skies began anew.

As it raged, I noticed that drop pods were still falling from the sky - a part of our army was sent down, barely a fraction of our true numbers but a small force of several thousand. A pit formed in my gut as I saw a ship explode with enough force that it cleared the skies enough that I could clearly see the battle above.

Reach ships were battling our fleet. Dozens of them, maybe a hundred. A force we couldn't defeat.

The admiral seemed to realize that as well because, before my very eyes, I watched our fleet tear holes in time and space. They were bombarded on all sides, some of the ships exploding before they could enter, but the bulk of our fleet managed to slip through. They managed to retreat.

Leaving us stranded on the planet.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	21. Smell of the Cage

For a moment, a deep cold numbness seeped into every limb as I stared at the spot that the fleet had been mere moments before. They were gone, only wreckage of a few ships remaining behind. We were left behind. On this planet crawling with scarabs. In the middle of Reach controlled space. With a massive fleet moving into position to take us out.

They were moving to take us out. That thought snapped me back, my mind racing to come up with a solution only to come up empty. I swallowed thickly, my gaze slowly drifting down to the drop pods that were raced down to the surface of the planet miles away. There had to be thousands of them - only instead of behind supported by a fleet in orbit, they were completely cut off. Just like we were.

This was my fault. I'm the one that came up with the plan, I'm the one that backed Queen Teach, it was my fault that we were here in the first place.

"What are your orders, my prince?" Matillo asked, his voice grim as we stared into the distance. I saw the Reach fleet slowly move into defensive positions in case that our fleet tried to come back. Only they never did. If they were going to engage the fleet, then they would have done it already. They would have had hours to plan in slipspace, and there was nothing. They were gone. They left us behind.

I looked over at Matillo to find that all eyes were on me. All of them were looking at me to lead them out of a situation that I lead them into. Only I had nothing. Forget taking the planet, we couldn't manage it with the forces that we had. We probably couldn't manage it with the fleet and armies that we had. Our priority had to be getting out of here, but...how? Even if we did have a ship, then what? We fight through a fleet of ships?

And without that slipstream FTL, then it could take us years to reach the nearest planet, which would still be a Reach planet.

But...we...could think about that later. We had to think about the right now. What should we do right now?

"We…" They had a massive fleet. Where did that fleet come from? No, that didn't matter either. With the scarabs that they had, they could just focus all of them on us and we would be swarmed in no time. We had to...limit their numbers or the ways that they could attack. "We go back to the base in the center of the planet. We seal off the entrances except for one, to limit how they can attack us. And throw it in a cell. It could be valuable as a prisoner," I said, tossing the Reach alien at Matillo.

It would buy time. Valuable time to figure out what we were going to do.

Matillo nodded as if I said the most obvious thing in the world, but I couldn't help but worry that they saw through the facade. Through the pain that wracked my body, through the rage that simmered in my chest, I couldn't help but feel a bone-chilling dread grip my heart. I didn't know how to describe it other than to compare it to leaning back in a chair a little too far, and it was that moment that you realized you lost your balance.

"At once, my prince," Matillo said, starting to move before a large explosion shook the planet. In the direction of our soldiers that landed. I gazed hard at the mushroom cloud that drifted upwards, something clenching in my gut. Thousands of our soldiers were dying. Because of me. The last time I was in the Wrath State...I hadn't cared at all, but now, when my mind was clearer when I knew that every single death was my fault even if I wasn't the one killing them…

I had to do something. Anything. I needed to stop with the self-pity, I needed to step up and not just get my team out, but those soldiers too. I...I needed to be like Bardock. What would he do in this situation?

"Borgos and Shugesh - you go down and cut off the exits and secure the base, the rest of us will regroup with the soldiers that landed and-" I started only to be cut off by Tora shaking his head, his expression grim. He realized just how bad of a position that we were in.

"No," he interjected, his voice firm, "don't bother with them. Let them be a distraction while we find a way off the rock. They should buy us some time," he argued. The suggestion was sound. The soldiers that were sent down had to be strong enough to fight in ten times the standard gravity, so they would be tough. They would be able to buy some time, even if it was only a few minutes. Despite my thoughts, I couldn't help but think that using them as a distraction would be what Bardock would do. It was a perfect blend of pragmatic and ruthless.

Even still, my hands curled into fists as I opened my mouth to say...something. To agree, or disagree, I don't even know. Only for a new voice to interrupt before I could say a word.

"This is the 501st requesting immediate support! Planetary Elite Squad, do you read?" Shouted an alien in my ear through my scouter. My heart pounded against my ribs as I stared at Tora, who's gaze was narrowed into a glare. A silent challenge. "Planetary Elite Squad, do you read?!"

He was right. We should leave them behind. We could try to steal a ship, sneak off the planet and take it from there. It's what Bardock would do.

And it was only at this moment that something occurred to me.

I wasn't Bardock.

"..." I looked away from Tora as a hand went up to my scouter. "We read you, 501st. On my way," I said, my gaze sweeping over my team to find that they didn't look happy with the move. Only Matillo didn't wear his displeasure for all to see, and I couldn't be sure if it was simply because he was keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Secure the base, I'll go support the 501st," I said as I turned around, speaking to the team. Something told me that if I ordered any of them to follow me then they would refuse the order. And I didn't know what I could do if they did.

Instead of dwelling on it, my weakness and guilt, I shoved it away and let the pot of rage in my chest boil over. I raced towards the 501st, blasting through buildings and smoke, seeing hundreds of flashing lights that marked a hard-fought battle in progress. Scarabs flew in the skies, bombarding the 501st and they fought back with everything that they had. Thousands of them secured defensive positions clustered enough to prevent easy breakthroughs from the other ground forces that the Reach threw at them, but spread out enough to prevent them from being wiped out in one attack.

The soldiers traded fire from building to building, street to street, smoke billowing upwards as both sides struggled to push forward. My gaze landed on a vanguard scarab before I rushed towards up - my blood that boiled in my veins screamed at me to lose myself in the fight, to let go of my sanity and just unleash everything that I had. Anything to distract myself from the fact that no one from my team had sought to follow me and every corpse on our side that piled up was my fault.

It was different, I reflected as I tore the head off the vanguard. My excuses for soldiers dying in this war was always that they knew what they were getting into. That they made a choice to be here, to fight, to kill so they had no right to complain when they died. That excuse always felt hollow to me. Like it was something I could never think too hard about, else I would realize how pathetic the excuse was.

Now...they were dead because of me. Because of the orders that I gave. We were on this planet instead of mopping up a weak one because I wanted to play at being a leader, and our soldiers were dying because of it. It was different because it was my fault.

Ki blasts formed in my hands as I sucked in a deep breath, pushing the stray thoughts away as I laid waste to a division of scouts, blasting them out of the sky. I looked down at the ground, spotting a scarab that was punching through a defensive position right up until I raced down towards it. It barely had time to react before I closed the distance between us, punching a hole through its chest and destroying the scarab on its back in the process.

My gaze landed on a saiyan, her eyes wide as I easily dispatched the scarab. A wounded alien in her hands, white armor stained a bright orange, while what was left of her squad laid dead in the position she was defending. They...died against a scout-class scarab. A few years ago, I was forced to flee from them but now...I had just killed a special-class scarab, and when it came right down to it, it wasn't any different than killing a vanguard.

"Thanks for the save," I heard someone speak through my scouter, the same voice as before. "Above you," it said, and I looked up to see an alien peeking its head out of a window, waving me down even as it fired down on the enemy soldiers below. I spared the female saiyan one last look before I flew upwards, idly throwing a few ki blasts as I rose, destroying some kind of war machine that they were trying to push forward.

The alien looked like a saiyan, only the colors were inverted. Stark white hair, pitch-black skin, white pupils and iris that were surrounded by a black scalea. The same went for its armor, where mine was black, it was white and where mine was white, it was black. It really was odd just how many alien races looked like saiyans out there, I thought, and not for the first time.

"Where is the rest of your team?" It asked as it continued to fire down at soldiers as I took potshots at scarabs.

"They're securing a fallback position, a base in the center of the planet," I explained, hoping that I hadn't just spoken a lie. If they had decided to leave, to abandon me and the soldiers...I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do. I don't know what I could do, other than making sure I took out as many as I could before I finally died.

The alien nodded, looking relieved for a moment before it gave me an expectant gaze. "Your orders, sir?" It asked and I wanted to curse at it for a moment. It looked at me like it expected me to have the answers, and I just didn't. I was as lost as everyone here, but I couldn't show it. I wonder if Bardock ever felt like this?

Probably not.

"Push out to the east towards these coordinates," I said, sending him the location of the entrance we had used to the base. "I'll keep the worst of scarabs off of you, but I'll be too preoccupied with them to help much with the ground forces," I explained and a flicker of surprise crossed over the alien's face. Idly, I noted that where its face creased, white lines appeared.

"I'll give the order at once, sir," the alien said before I flew off to keep my end of the bargain. I flew up, over the buildings to get a better idea of the positioning of the enemy. Instead, I made myself a target because not a second later, one of those missiles streaked upwards from a vanguard scarab below. I shot it down, deleting a portion of a skyscraper while a couple of hundred feet of it raced down.

Worried, I threw another ki blast that reduced that portion of the skyscraper to ash, not wanting it to crash on top of our soldiers. Looking down again, I realized what I had signed myself up for. Our soldiers were everywhere, avoiding friendly-fire was impossible if I used any of my attacks. I wonder if this is how the special-class scarab felt before I killed it. Hopefully, this wouldn't end the same way.

With that, I threw myself into the fight. My scouter flashed, marking all the targets, highlighting friendlies in blue while enemies were in yellow. Nearly a dozen vanguard scarabs nearby with more on the way with closer to twenty scouts. I had to work fast.

Two of them flew nearby, their plasma blasters carving lines throughout defensive lines, reducing everyone that they touched to ash. Coming in from above, whatever sensor that they had alerted them to my presence, but it was too late for one of them. I brought my heel down on one's head, smashing it open with a spray of blood before using its corpse as a springboard to launch me at the second.

If I couldn't use attacks, then I had to fight smart. With that thought in mind, I blocked a swipe at my neck from the second vanguard unit before lashing out. Ki coated my hand, shaping into a blade that sliced through the offending arm. As it recoiled in shock, I thrust my other arm forward, skewering it through the chest before yanking my hand out, blasting the lime green blood off my hand.

A squad of scarabs flew above the streets, ravaging the defensive positions the Frieza-force took to soften them up for what appeared to be dozens of Reach soldiers to make an offensive. I took out the scouts with the same amount of ease that I butchered their soldiers. The buildings and streets became a give of activity as the Frieza-force began to push forward through the Reach lines. Or, perhaps comparing it to an anthill would be more appropriate since soldiers seemed to pour from every crevice to advance.

The fighting was a welcomed distraction as I fought off the scarabs and devastated the Reach forces, doing whatever I could to pave a path to the fallback point. Despite the urgings of my rage, I retained a tight grip on my sanity as we fought our way back. No matter how my body screamed at me to just lose control, to let loose, I didn't. I couldn't. Not now.

Moving thousands of soldiers through heavily contested territory took a lot longer than I thought it would. It made sense - most of the aliens couldn't fly, they had to take time to advance, check buildings and make sure that they weren't stepping into a trap, but it took so long. I had traveled the distance between the base and where they landed in a few seconds, and it felt like it took hours to get to a point where it could be said we were 'close.'

"Vanguard, Vanguard, Vanguard," a voice called out into my ear, bringing my attention to a vanguard scarab flying in with reinforcements as we continued to punch through the Reach defenses. I twisted in midair, tossing the two halves of a scout scarab to the side before cupping my hands to the side. My scouter picked up another five scouts being lead by the vanguard - whoever did the callout had good eyes because they were far enough away that I didn't have to worry about friendly fire.

Ki built up in my hands, "Kamehameha!" I shouted, dragging the ki attack to the side to take the lot of them out. A black ball exploded in the distance, telling me that those had been suicide troops. I frowned as I turned my attention to a building filled with Reach soldiers that were offering up a staunch defense against our soldiers.

Plasma miniguns tore through buildings and soldiers, forcing the Frieza-force onto the defense. I looked down at them, a ki ball forming in my hand before I lobbed them at the Reach forces. It hit whatever they stored the plasma in, a great big explosion went up that nearly took down a building, but when the dust cleared, I saw Frieza-force aliens pushing through.

We advanced street to street, block to block, the futuristic city making any progress slow. The only saving grace was that the fleet that took up positions above us weren't bombarding us from orbit, convinced they could take us out without damaging the planet any more than we have. I could only hope that was arrogance on their part rather than confidence.

More time passed as we inched closer to the base, the scarabs slowly giving way to me as I carved a path for the soldiers. I didn't know how many they came down with, or how many they had, but the number of allies on my scouter slowly chipped away with every minute we spent fighting. Steadily, bit by bit, they were winning even as we slaughtered a hundred for everyone we lost. They could simply afford to lose more.

With each block that we crossed, as we neared the ruined space elevator, the more I realized how badly we needed to get into the base. There was never one major devastating attack from the Reach, but a squad lost there, or a single soldier dying to an unlucky shot quickly added up. We wouldn't last the day at this rate. And, as we neared, the more my worries grew that we weren't going to find a port in the storm.

My team was made of saiyans. Most of them weren't happy obeying me in the first place, but if they decided to leave, to make their own escape and leave us behind…

Then we were dead.

For the briefest of moments, as we finally crossed the threshold and were approaching the fallen space elevator, I didn't see any member of my team. A bitter smile tugged at my cheeks, unable to even feel surprised by their abandonment, only for a bright beam to light up the sky. An attack that could only come from an oozaru.

"Get everyone up there, and then it's a straight shot down," I called out over general coms, getting a confirmation from that weird looking black and white alien that I spoke to before. After that, I tuned into my team's frequency, "we're back and coming in hot. What's your status?" I said, trying to say whatever would make me sound professional.

"The Reach is attempting to retake the base, but the rest of the team has been blocking off entrances. We were forced to destroy the defensive measures to this entrance since we couldn't take command of them," Matillo answered me before his stark white oozaru form appeared. There weren't words to describe the relief I felt when I heard his voice and saw him. They hadn't left us.

"Do we have a transportation method of getting them all down?" I asked as I fired a ki blast that punched through the chest of a scarab, killing it. I watched as the Frieza-force aliens and saiyans marched forward, climbing up what was left of the space elevator while those that could flew up.

Matillo fired off a beam before he answered, "we do not, my prince." Right. I turned to the Frieza-force forces, and it only took a moment to think of a plan.

"How many of you are left?" I asked the weird black and white alien as ki gathered into my palms. Now that they were all heading towards the space elevator, I didn't have to worry about friendly fire anymore. I fired a nameless attack at the city around us, destroying buildings and war machines alike. Anything that it took to buy us enough time to get them all out of here.

"Just over five thousand, sir," the alien answered a note of despair in his voice that didn't go unnoticed.

"How many did you start with?" I couldn't stop myself from asking, despite knowing it was a horrible idea. I..had to know.

"Fifteen thousand, sir," the alien answered quietly. I clenched my jaw hard enough that teeth threatened to shatter, the rage that managed to keep such a tight grip on thrashed against the leash but I kept myself calm. As calm as I could manage in the Wrath State, at least. I swallowed thickly before continuing.

"Get those that can fly and get them to start carrying those that can't down. The air is pretty bad down there, so either make it fast or use an oxygen tank," I ordered, turning my gaze to a missile that raced towards us, leaving a trail of white smoke where it went. Not liking the look of it, I threw a ki blast at it, causing it to blow up. It proved to be another one of those black hole bombs, only this one ate up entire blocks, expanding out just as big as my attack that wiped out nearly an entire district.

That was really bad.

"We'll hold them off and give you the time you need," I stated with more confidence than I felt. They only had to get lucky one, and whatever forces we had left would die. While I had to be perfect every single time.

"Thank you, sir," the alien said and I saw saiyans and other aliens start flying with at least two aliens in their arms or more if they had more arms. It would take some time, but they would get it done.

"Thank me by hurrying up," I responded, though not harshly. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I hadn't realized it until now, but I was getting a grip on the Wrath State. The last time, everything was a mess of rage, pain and hate. Earlier, if someone so much as looked at me wrong, I had to restrain myself from reducing them to ash. Now, I almost felt...normal. The pain was still there, but I was used to pain. As bad as it was, the pain that nearly drove me mad last time was almost to the point that I could ignore it.

"Matillo," I started as I threw myself back into the fight. It seemed that they were finding scarabs under every rock because my scouter picked up another three vanguards coming this way. "Have they managed to block off the entrances?"

"The last that I heard was that there were three other entrances, and they had collapsed two of them," Matillo answered forming ki balls in his hands as an oozaru before he threw them in an almost random direction. As I flew up to intercept any vanguard's, I was struck by just how scenic the battlefield was becoming - the broken pieces of the space elevator served as a backdrop, while the area around the base was slowly becoming flattened as craters appeared, buildings fell and fires raged. Thick black smoke poured upwards, only broken up when an explosion stirred the air.

"It sounds like we got lucky with our first pick them," I commented, forming a Kamehameha in my hands before I launched it at the vanguard scarabs, managing to take one of them out but the others managed to react in time. I flew at them, cupping my hands to my side, building up ki, before I flung dozens of ki balls at them. They couldn't escape the following hundreds of smaller explosions, even if they did manage to survive them.

I finished them off with a nameless ki attack as they recovered from losing a couple of limbs, my eyes scanning for anything trying to slip by. As if they were drawn by magnets, my eyes landed on a missile weaving between buildings with pinpoint accuracy, nimbly sailing between wreckage and broken windows as it clung to the ground to avoid notice. I blew it up with a ki attack, but that wasn't good. That really wasn't good. Why couldn't my enemies be idiots?

"Indeed, my prince," Matillo agreed as I spotted more missiles trying to sneak by. I blew them up, quickly growing irritated with the game of cat and mouse as more scarabs flew towards us, intent on taking us all out in one fell swoop. "My prince, perhaps you should head down as well? You've been on the surface the longest out of all of us and this fight will not end today."

Right. The twenty-four-hour mark before bad things started to happen to my DNA.

"I'm fine," I dismissed the issue as I spotted more scarabs flying over, some going to Matillo while others were trying to go unnoticed by me. I fell upon all of them, tearing through scrabs, no matter if they were blue or black. They weren't even trying to fight us at this point, it was just a matter of getting close enough to wipe us all out.

"Prince Tarble-" Matillo started to argue, but I knew his arguments.

"You can't fight them all by yourself, you'll get overwhelmed in no-" I started, only for Matillo to cut me off much like I did him.

"Prince Tarble," Matillo repeated, his tone hard and sharp enough that I fell silent. "I understand," he continued, his tone softening ever so slightly in a way that told me he really did understand. Everything. "But this fight will not end today, and if we have any chance of surviving, then we will need you. And you cannot win this day alone either, no matter how much you might wish it so." He said, hammering every reason I had for wanting to stay up here.

"I…" I trailed off, finding every single argument that I was prepared to make vanish like smoke in the wind.

"If you want to help an old man, then help the soldiers get down into the base," Matillo continued, his tone telling me he knew he won the argument. My hands curled into fists, wanting to keep arguing, but I couldn't. At the moment, I was the only one that could fight special-class scarabs and not be overwhelmed by a handful of scarabs. If I died then defeat was certain. Then everyone would die, and they would have died for nothing because the damage we inflicted would barely be a hiccup in their overall production.

I couldn't let that happen. The 501st lost two-thirds of their numbers already, and I couldn't let my team die. What I wanted didn't matter - I had to do what was best for the mission.

The mission, the team, then pride. It's been years since I've heard those words, but I don't think I understood them until now.

"Alright," I conceded, taking the time to wreck the skyline before I flew back towards the elevator. "Matillo?" I said after a moment, watching the ancient saiyan do battle against a few scarabs and finding surprising success. "Don't die."

Matillo chuckled before he answered, "as you command, my prince."

With that, I turned my attention to the forces still trying to get down to the center of the planet. There were still thousands of them, far too many. It was going to take ages flying them down two at a time. I spotted the alien with the black and white face, who shouted orders and tried to organize the chaos.

"How many more do you have?" I asked, wondering just how many of them I could carry at a time. If only my arms weren't so short.

"We've gotten nearly half down, sir," the alien responded, making me frown. "We lost a lot of our fliers during the landing," he offered an excuse and I fought off a wince. Perhaps I should have taken greater care to make sure every alien and saiyan that could fly survived the fight here? I should have- no, this wasn't the time to think about what I should have done, but it was the time to think of what I will do.

I looked down at the tunnel that faded into absolute blackness. Taking them one at a time was going to take too long. The space elevator was to-

An idea struck me. My hands cupped together in front of me, forming a ball of ki. This was a space elevator - we destroyed the original one, but that didn't mean we couldn't make another. Metal would be too heavy. Under ten times standard gravity, each pound would weigh ten and a piece of metal that could support the troops would need to be thick. Meaning, it would weigh tons and that was before the aliens got on.

I hadn't tested my strength fully in this form yet, and I might be able to pull it off, but I couldn't risk it. If I was wrong, then I dropped thousands of soldiers into the center of the planet.

Willing the ki into a disk, much like a Destructo Disk, I made it thicker and denser. Ki, once it became dense enough, had its own kind of weight, but it was unaffected by gravity. Once I was satisfied with the shape and density, I expanded the disk. I heard aliens gasp as the purplish blue disk formed. There were other flyers so I couldn't take all of the room, but I took up most of it by the time I was done.

"Get on," I said, lowering the makeshift elevator so they could get on. .

"Flyers, drop people off in the center and expand out," the weird alien from before ordered and I heard some confirmations before I felt something drop onto the elevator. My arms nearly buckled underneath the added weight. The average alien weighed about a hundred pounds...so, underneath this gravity, they weighed about a thousand.

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay afloat as more and more and more weight was dropped onto the elevator. I was flying thousands of miles above the nearest piece of ground, but it felt like I was about to be crushed as more soldiers got onto the elevator. Sweat dripped off my forehead, falling down below, but I didn't follow suit. Not until we got everyone down.

"Sir, we're topped up," the alien said and I took that as my cue to start my descent. I let myself drop and instantly, I noticed the problem. It was so much easier to keep myself still, but controlling my decent...it was a hundred times harder. Even still, I grit my teeth and made a controlled descent, idly noting that other flying aliens continued to ferry aliens down as well. That was good. It gave me something to gauge my decent by.

"Sir," the alien continued, even though we should be too far down to make a connection. "We still have most of our soldiers up here, and that white oozaru looks like he needs some help. Permission to assist, sir?" It asked, its tone grim.

"Granted," I bit out, letting myself fall that much faster. I couldn't let Matillo die. I wouldn't let him die. I...I still had so many questions. Like how he managed to use ki as an oozaru. "Tora?" I hissed, trying to get Matillo some reinforcements. "Shugesh? Fasha? Anyone?" I forced out, the elevator lurching downward as my concentration lapsed.

"*ksh* -ble? Entrance's ha- *ksh* sealed," Tora's voice answered me and I couldn't help but feel relieved. And it sounded like they had closed the other entrances, leaving this one as the only entrance or exit. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing, but it was more good for now.

"Matillo needs help up top," I told him. "The evacuation is almost done, so get whoever is available to take the pressure off him," I ordered, sweat falling off me in rivers as my muscles burned with exertion. And, for a couple of seconds, there was absolute silence from Tora.

I knew better than to think that it was a case of our scouters suffering interference. He wasn't answering because he was thinking about obeying the order or trying to think up some excuse why he couldn't. Anger flared in my chest, distracting me from the exertion, if only for a moment before I regained control over myself.

"The team is heading up," Tora answered eventually and I had to swallow a sharp retort that rested heavily on my tongue. Now wasn't the time to confront him about it.

I continued my way down, and after about a minute, I picked up on familiar power levels heading my way. They wore some kind of lighting device that made them easier to see in the intense darkness, but I saw the team flying up.

"Tarble?!" Fasha shouted as I continued to descend, staring at the makeshift elevator with wide eyes.

"Go-" I started to bite out but Tora cut me off.

"Shugesh, you help him carry this lot down," Tora ordered over me before the other continued upwards. I didn't have it in me to argue with him because Shugesh cupped his hands together before forming a Power Ball. It seemed that he realized that he wasn't going to be able to help much in his base form. As he transformed, he flew over to the wall, clinging to it as he reached out to the makeshift elevator.

When he first touched it, I thought he was going to knock it over, but he managed to find a way to balance descending with me without knocking the thing over. Instantly, it felt hundreds of tons were lifted off my shoulders. "Tarble," Shugesh said as we descended. "You really are a crazy guy, you know that?" He asked, his booming voice echoing in the tunnel.

I couldn't respond, but I couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. It didn't sound like an insult, though.

With Shugesh's help, it didn't take much longer to reach the bottom. I slipped out from underneath it as aliens began to make their way off of it. I hadn't noticed it before, but every single one of them looked like they had been through hell. And, to my greater surprise, I recognized one of the aliens. A lizard like aliens with a pair of smaller hands coming out of its larger arms. The technician that made my scouter. Like many as they entered the base, it glanced my way and when our eyes met, it seemed to take that as a signal to approach me.

My scouter.

My scouter that had a crap load of information on it.

"How good are you with Reach tech?" I asked, an idea taking form in the back of my mind. It was a long shot, more of a desperate hope, but there could be an answer on my scouter. It could hold a ticket to get us out of here - whether it be a superweapon, a ship, a shutdown code for all the scarabs or a hole in their defenses. Anything was better than the nothing that we had.

The technician blinked as I took off my scouter, Shugesh standing behind me in his base form. "I'm fairly decent with it - my race was a client species with the Reach for a couple of decades before Lord Frieza...liberated us?" It questioned, sounding unsure of the word liberate. Which was fair, I guess. It looked down at the scouter I pressed into one of its hands, a glimmer of surprise in it's beady black eyes.

"There's a bunch of info on there do you think you can use any of it to get us out of here?" I asked as the alien pulled out a thingamajig that hooked up to my scouter, a bunch of data appeared on the screen before the alien made a strangled noise as it began to fly through the text on a crystal tablet.

"You- this is the find of a lifetime! Unencrypted too! Very lucky!" It commented, sounding like a child in an all you can eat buffet. I shifted impatiently, and thankfully the alien wasn't so lost in the treasure trove of data that it didn't notice. It cleared it's throat, organizing it's search before I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Is that a good sign?" I asked, my gaze lingering on the data, wondering what it displayed. I saw some kind of box that looked really high tech but that was the extent of my understanding.

The alien didn't answer for a moment, it's gaze narrowing in thought. "Possibly. The Reach were developing a new FTL drive called the wink drive. It-" it started but I held up a hand, making it fall silent.

"I'm not going to understand how it works," I told it bluntly. "But can it get us out of here?"

For the first time today, I had some good luck because the alien nodded hesitantly. "I believe so. The drive is more of a teleporter, so the FTL jammers won't be an issue, but we will need to get out of orbit for it to work."

I nearly sagged with relief at that - we had a way out-

"But it hasn't been tested yet. The data looks sound to me, but it's still labeled a prototype," it continued, taking the edge off my relief with bad news. "And...and it's going to take time. From what I'm seeing, they have nanoforges here, so that'll help a lot but it'll still take a few weeks to make a ship that can support all of us."

The plan could still work. This just meant that the plan had to change.

"And if you didn't have to start from scratch?" I asked, very aware of the lingering gazes on me. The expectations for me to her everyone out of this.

The alien paused for a moment in thought before it let out a small sigh. "Three days, at the very least. Possibly four to install it and do system checks."

Three days. We would have to hold out for three days. Could we do it?

We would have to.

"Make it three days," I ordered, squaring my shoulders. It looked surprised buy quickly nodded before I turned to Shugesh, who was eyeing me with a look I didn't know how to describe. Then his chubby face broke out into a fierce grin.

"What's the plan, Boss?" He asked as I looked up at the spec of light in the distance. I had the thought earlier, but if there was any hope of victory, then I couldn't achieve it on my own. Matillo was right about that.

"I'm going to teach you all the Wrath State...and every saiyan here how to control their oozaru form."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	22. Informationals

**These are a bunch of informationals that have been posted over at Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity. If you have questions that you want immediately answered, I highly recommend that you go to one of those sites because I'm far more active over there and this site is flat out awful when it comes to author-reader interaction.**

* * *

**Ansers to commonly asked questions:**

I really need to make an info post about this but I'll give an example to help explain why the SI didn't access ki immediately and why he knows about the kamehameha: Be me. I haven't done any high-level math since I left high school. None. The most I do is percentages for tipping and that's it. Now, while I suck at math, I know what the number Pi is. Its a number that can't be fully divided into and it goes on forever. In this analogy, replace Pi with Ki.

Now, while I know Pi is a thing, if you asked me to use it in an equation, I'd have absolutely no clue where to start. I don't even know what kinds of equations would use Pi, but I do know that some of them exist. I simply have no idea what they are. If you asked me what the equation was that formed Pi, I'd be similarly lost. I know it's possible, I've seen it done, but no one bothered to explain it to me so I don't understand it and can't replicate it.

Then, some months later, I'm falling to my death. I'm facing down a fuck off big dragon about to laser beam me to ashes. My one hope of not dying just left me behind to save his own life. I'm a little stressed. But for months, I've been getting the absolute shit beaten out of me every day. I don't give up, I don't scream or cry. I get up and punch whatever was kicking my ass in the throat. If the only thing that can save me is Pi, then I'm going to use Pi. End of story.

Thus the SI learned how to fly.

As for the Kamehameha, let's continue the analogy. I walk into math class to learn numbers and shit. I'm kinda prepared for it. I learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide nearly a decade ago. Math class is going to be easy. Except, when I entered the room, I was stuck in a pod for three years while some creepy old man shoved a bunch of other subjects in my head like biology, literature, history and poetry ontop of math. And I sit there. For three years. Alone. With absolute no form of entertainment except for sleeping. Then one day I'm out of the tank, sat in a desk and a test is put in front of me. A math test.

At this point, I am not prepared. What I learned was around thirteen years ago. When I scribble down my answers, I don't know if I'm using what I learned ahead of time or if it was downloaded into my brain. How could I tell? My knowledge isn't neatly cataloged with labels that tell me when and where I learned it. It's all jumbled up into one great big mess that overlaps and contradicts itself. The answers I learned beforehand are still there, they just don't jump to the front of my mind unless I'm actively trying to remember them, and even then, why would I assume that answer was one I learned beforehand? 9/10s of everything I now know comes from what was downloaded into me. It's easier to just assume that it came from there and not think any deeper about it.

The human memories suffered a similar fate. To continue using the math analogy; I don't think I know how to use long division anymore. I remember myself doing it at one point in time, and I kinda remember how it goes, but there are a lot of blanks there now that I really start to think about it. There's that sideways L thing and one number goes underneath it, so I sorta remember how it goes. However, if you asked me how exactly it went, then I would be lost.

The real issue is that I don't often think about doing long division. More often than not, long division has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm doing. I'm throwing hands with an alien and trying not to die most of the time so long division is a distant thing thats kinda there but it's not really important at the moment. Then, one day, long division becomes really important. Long division becomes a very important ethical question about genocide and my role in it.

I would continue this analogy further, but then it starts to delve into spoiler territory. Though I will say that now that I'm thinking about actual long division, I'm realizing just how much I've forgotten about it. I know how it works in theory, but when I try to answer a question, I'm pretty sure I'm doing it wrong.

I hope this clarifies some things for people.

* * *

**Trade Organization and Galactic Realistate Laws:**

This is one of those changes to the lore of including the Frieza-force because, in Canon DC universe, that is absolutely correct. However, the Frieza-force, thus the Trade Organization is a galactic company that specializes in real estate. For it to exist, that would imply that there is a market for buying and selling planets, which means there are legal procedures that must be adhered to. Laws are really no different than ones you would see in modern courts; property rights, mineral rights, permits and so on. Some of these laws deal with sentients - like I said before, the rights to the Sol system was bought a long time ago, back when humans were still throwing poop at each other, so they weren't covered by these rights.

Fast forward a couple of thousand years, and now humans are. They're entitled to an appeal, basically saying 'this is our planet, we lived here our whole lives.' It's just not guaranteed to go in the human's favor because, technically, the Trade Organization owned it first, the humans could be considered tenants, and they would either have to vacate the premises or start paying rent now that they are sentient. In this universe, this whole process is why Frieza kills off the native population.

Additionally, the Trade Organization is fuck off big and powerful. Not just because of King Cold, Frieza and Cooler either - powerful empires, like the Reach, back them because they benefit from their practices. The Reach used it to subvert the treaty in addition to their normal method of brainwashing primitive planets into willingly joining them, which in turn made them significantly more powerful than their canon counterparts. Because they have the backing of a significant portion of the galaxy's more powerful empires, the real estate laws have legitimacy on a galactic scale.

And, in the end, the Green Lanterns are space police. They enforce the laws, they do not dictate them nor can they change them. The Guardians would like to, certainly, but with the Trade Organization almost acting as a glue of sorts for the powerful empires, they know they can't tip their hand. Their position isn't as secure as it was in canon. The Reach is more powerful than it was when they were forced into a draw with the Green Lanterns, them alone would be enough to give the Guardians pause in contradicting the real estate laws of the galaxy.

That isn't to say that they're toothless. Say Tarble was going to go to Earth and kick everyone off it and demanded that Hal Jordan be the one that did the evictions. The conversation would go a lot like this.

Hal: *gasp* is that...Batman?! He is the night, he is vengeance, and he has struck fear deep into my heart! Will...fading...can't...use power ring...! Oh no! Sorry, tried my best. Oh well.

Additionally, there's a few hours delay before the Guardians revoke access to a power ring, so that's plenty of time to kick whoever is trying to conquer the earth butt. However, since ownership of a planet can't really be decided in a fight legally, most of it is settled in a court. The usual solution, for the most part, is either buying the planet back or finding...'ways' to obtain the deed.

* * *

**Green Lanterns, the Reach and Frieza-force Comparisons:**

#501

I can't remember who said it, but the thing with the green lanterns is that whenever they're fighting an enemy, they're never just fighting that enemy. They're fighting the rest of the galaxy at the same time. Worse, they do it with kid gloves on because green lanterns can't kill.

The Reach, when it comes down to it, is similar to America back in WW II. When they go into war economy, the collective galaxy shits itself because of the sheer amount they can produce. 5% of the galaxy might not sound like a lot, but, in comparison, the second-largest empire controls about 2%. They have over a thousand planets, and more than a few of them are solely manufacturing worlds. How much they can produce - weapons, armor, tanks, fleets and so on, is by far their greatest strength when it comes to war.

The scarabs are their greatest weapon that they can mass produce. They're expensive, limited only by exotic resources, but for every green lantern that the Guardians can field, the Reach can field a thousand vanguard scarabs.

So, back when the green lanterns and Reach were butting heads, it was a war of attrition, more or less. The green lanterns just didn't have the numbers to counteract the sheer numbers of scarabs that the Reach could field. You had single green lanterns going up against literal armies - as much damage a green lantern could do, it just wasn't enough to stop the Reach from swarming over planets. Then there's the issue that the green lantern rings run on a battery.

And, it should be noted, that the Reach fought the green lanterns to a standstill. It wasn't a victory - though, it is treated as one because it was the green lanterns that sued for peace. That's why there were pretty big concessions for both sides. The Reach can't outright conquer worlds and the green lanterns can't operate in their territory.

Had the green lanterns withdrew from the rest of the galaxy and focused solely on the Reach, ignored the armies and focused on manufacturing centers, I think it would have been a very different story.

As for why the green lanterns aren't interfering now - for starters, two of their top five biggest enemies are beating the crap out of each other. They're using the treaty that they signed with the Reach as a defense, and leverage on the Reach for some concessions in exchange for help. Stuff like, 'hey, maybe you stop subverting the treaty by exploiting loopholes, stop committing genocide and/or enslaving races, etc.'

For the Frieza-force...I don't want to ruin the surprises, so I can't say exactly why, but I can say that its Frieza's family that they fear.

The average pl for the Frieza-force is 10,000. Compared to the Reach, or the green lanterns, they might as well not be there. Their only saving grace is there is a crap ton of them, some members being much stronger than that, and the saiyans that, on average, are about 20,000 in their oozaru form. In a straight-up fight, the Frieza-force is by far the weakest faction.

However, quantity is a quality of its own. Frieza cares absolutely nothing about causalities. If you go up to him and say 'we got a planet, but it cost us a hundred million billion quintillion soldiers to get it.' What Frieza hears is 'we got a planet for free.' The Frieza-force has the numbers - they outnumber the Reach a hundred to one. And, they have money. A lot of money. So much money Scrooge McDuck is turning green with envy levels of money.

I mean, I think it says a lot about priorities when Frieza's goal is to resell planets during a large scale galactic war.

* * *

**Power Levels:**

Power levels aren't set in stone, and I don't want to risk contradicting myself later down the line. As of right now, the power levels of people like Frieza and Superman are left up in the air until I approach the point in the story where fighting them isn't tantamount to suicide. And things are already escalating in terms of feats because, in this chapter, Tarble proved to be a multi-ton lifter. I don't want to end up in a situation where I've written myself into a corner by having Superman, or someone, struggle with something that Tarble could do when he was way weaker.

And that was also before I completely discarded my previous outline for the story where 100 million was pretty much at the point where your strength was maximumer.

* * *

**Length of the Story:**

I'm going to be really honest with you - I have no clue at this point.

I've come to several decisions about this story recently and I'm not yet sure how they're going to affect the length. One of those decisions is to treat this story more like a si-fi story - so expanding on alien races, looking at how the tech influences the war, and exploring the factions that make up the story. The Frieza-force is a galactic trade empire with countless slave species fighting for it while the Reach is a tech-focused dictatorship. I think taking a step back and taking a look at how they actually function will add a lot of nuance to the story beyond 'they're both bad guys.'

Additionally, I also want to develop side characters because, as Arcanist said, this story is lacking a good cast of supporting characters. Up until this point, the supporting cast has been the team, and how many people actually care about them? I mean, when Leek died, no one even said a word about it. I'm taking steps now to develop the team, which should have been done already, but for those that caught the hint in this chapter, I'm taking further steps to expand the supporting cast beyond morally gray saiyans. So, the next time I kill off a character, someone will at least mention it.

I've also decided that this arc will serve as a turning point in the story. Up until this point, the main antagonist has been Tarble's self-doubt and passiveness. This entire arc is about him becoming an active protagonist, so there won't be that internal conflict driving the story. Which leaves the Reach to serve as the antagonist, and right now they're just the bad guy that Tarble fights because someone tells him to fight them. There's a really great quote that I heard but I can't find about how a literary conflict is made vastly more interesting when it serves to answer a question and the two sides that collide have opposing answers to that question. And this is a long-winded explanation to say that actual antagonists will be appearing - some short term, others long term.

There some other decisions that are a bit too spoilerish for me to give away just yet, but to answer your question...Yeah, I have no clue. The story will be as long as it needs to be to tell the story that I want to tell, and so far I've greatly enjoyed telling it.

* * *

**Frieza thoughts on the Wrath State and Super Saiyan:**

Right now, Frieza is under the assumption that the Wrath State is what the legends of the Super Saiyan are based on, but at the same time, he still has doubts. Since Bardock wasn't blasted back in time, the reason why Frieza knows about the SS is that legends of it spread beyond Sadala. Then there's the fact that Sadala was destroyed by the last SS, so he was powerful enough to enter planet-buster class. There's enough doubt surrounding the legends that Frieza isn't sure how much of it is exaggeration and truth.

As for why legends of the SS and SSG expanded beyond Sadala...well, a SS appears every thousand years or so and a big part of the reason that Saiyans consider them legends is because of their practically non-existant record keeping. That's not true for the rest of the galaxy.

* * *

**Frieza's end goal: **

The easiest way to explain it would be that Frieza wants the status quo to continue but on a grander scale. Right now, the Trade Organization has several checks on its power from various factions, and he wants them removed. I guess his end goal could be best described as an intergalactic trade company, possibly multidimensional, that has no trader laws to follow or obey any kind of restrictions if it doesn't want to. Frieza is a bit like a cat in that regard - lazy, wanting to be pampered, and occasionally torments small critters for his amusement. He never really struck me as the kind of guy to have grand ambitions of supplanting Darkseid as the God of Tyranny or conquer the galaxy for the sake of conquering it.

Frieza is the kind of person that is powerful, enjoys being powerful, and loves the rewards of being powerful.

* * *

**There are plenty more of these over on Spacebattles, but these were the highlights. **


	23. Smell of the Calm part 1

We were put under siege after we managed to ferry down the troops. The team did a rather good job of sealing the other entrances, but I gave the order to kick down the base to the last ventilation shaft just in case there was another way in that we didn't know about. The odds were slim considering we were in the center of the planet, but there were already too many disasters for this campaign already.

"How much food and water do we have?" I asked the black and white alien. From what I gathered, it was in charge of the 501st and, for some reason, decided that it was going to do whatever I said. Which meant I was in charge of not just my team, but just under five thousand lives. Despite the fact, I was responsible in the first place for the company losing over ten thousand of their men.

"Not a lot," the alien said with a grimace. "We're still sorting through everything, but I'm guessing that we don't have more than a day's worth of food, two or three days if we ration it. Less for water - this place just wasn't made to handle so many people. And, uh, no offense but you saiyans eat a lot." The alien looked like it regretted tacking on the last bit judging by the nervous expression it wore, but in this situation, I couldn't help but agree with it.

"We do…" I trailed off, frowning. I glanced at the datapad that it had given to me, a catalog of all that we had found so far. If we could eat experimental prototypes, then we could feast like kings every day, but we couldn't. This place was a research facility manned by what we're likely some of the brightest minds the Reach had to…

A thought struck me. A thought that my stomach flip, my guts tie themselves together into knots, but even still, I considered the option. The idea of it disgusted me, gnawing at the parts of me that still clung to human sensibilities, but...I was a Saiyan. More than that, I was the leader. What I felt didn't matter. I had to do what was best for those under my care.

"Start butchering the corpses of the Reach scientist and soldiers," I said with a heavy sense of finality. "My people will eat it. At least that should buy us some more time," I said, pointedly not looking at the alien, but my datapad caught it's reflection anyway. It's expression displaced a naked disgust and horror, but to my surprise, both quickly faded to be replaced with resigned acceptance.

"At once sir. I'll...ask around who else would be willing if it means stretching out our reserves a little more. Though, that does still leave the issue with our water reserves, sir." It pointed out as I nodded in agreement.

"I'll conduct raids to get some. How are we on medical supplies? I saw a lot of wounded when I was bringing you all down," I questioned, scrolling through the catalog with no success. I...wasn't used to using technology. The only time I had touched a datapad before was when I bought Earth, and it already had everything pulled up. Now that I thought about it, outside of my scouter and healing pod, I hadn't interacted with technology at all.

It never bothered me before when I was staring at holograms on the deck of a ship, but now, when so much was riding on my shoulders, and the answers to my questions could be staring me in the face...I felt ignorant. I had absolutely no idea what a terragram of balticnick was, much less what I could do with it. Was it useful? Was it dangerous? Was it our salvation or could it be our doom? Or was it completely useless? I didn't have the faintest clue.

And that was a problem.

"...We're going to lose another hundred men, at least. Internal injuries and we don't have enough biofoam to go around." It answered and I had to remind myself not to crush the datapad in frustration. What I was frustrated at was anyone's pick - at my inadequacies, at the Reach...but there wasn't anything I could do about it now. "Should...I give the order to use the bodies...?"

Damnit… "Preserve them for now. They're last resort only." I had to be practical about it. No one would like eating their dead, but we had to assume we were going to be down here for the long haul. Three days at least, or weeks at most - for how much food that we had, those three days might as well be three years or a decade. "I'll talk to…" I had absolutely no idea what anyone's names were, "whoever's in charge of sorting through the data we found. Maybe they'll have something for us."

"I know they'll appreciate the thought, sir," the alien said, reminding me that I didn't know its name either. Asking now would be pretty rude, and despite the fact that it was asking me what to do, the alien seemed like it had a handle on what was going on. I guess I could only hope it wasn't faking it like I was.

I simply nodded, "I'll go do that now. Keep going through this place with a fine-toothed comb. Just because we took it doesn't mean it's ours," I said, my mind all too helpful to think of ways that they could kill us without bothering to send down a single scarab. The fact that they hadn't attacked our position yet told me either they had another way in, or they were aware of our position.

Eventually, we were going to have to come to them. Either to escape, out of desperation for food and water or to die a warrior's death. It was only a matter of time and time, unfortunately, was on the Reach's side.

The alien nodded, snapping off a salute before we walked in opposite directions. The base was rather sizable, there was enough space for all kinds of things, and thankfully it could produce enough air that we didn't have to worry about it. I haven't gotten a chance to truly explore the place yet, but if some of the things I saw were here, then I would put this place roughly at the same size as Queen Teach's flagship.

Meaning, there was a significant chance there was an alien or two hidden away somewhere because I know my team hadn't killed every single alien in the base, only those that got in the way.

My feet carried me to where I knew the tech orientated aliens set up shop, the place where the Reach aliens worked on the wink-drive. On the way, there were all kinds of different inventions. This place was more tech and machine-oriented, I noticed as I headed towards a large room at the end of the hall. Like before, I had absolutely no idea what any of it did. I saw hundreds of wires, all of them in various stages of completion, and someone of them looked like they had been picked apart. Even if they were complete, I still wouldn't know what any of them did.

That ignorance never really bothered me before but now...if-...when we got through this, I promised myself I would at least try to learn something about tech. A brilliant scientist, I wasn't, but if it could be used to save lives then it was worth the effort. Though I would have to put up with some odd looks from my team...and if Queen Teach ever found out...Maybe if I sold it as a way to help bring better fights in my direction? I would think of something later. I had far more important things to deal with at the moment.

It didn't take me long to reach the workshop. The doors slip open for me as I approached, revealing a wide-open hanger. It was a lot bigger than the one on Queen Teach's flagship because it was large enough to fit a spaceship inside of it. The soldiers had stumbled upon it when they were combing through the place - apparently, it was a new kind of ship that the Reach wanted to start sending out.

Instead, we were going to use it to escape this place. Our technicians were working on installing the wink-drive, and performing the finishing touches on the ship itself so that it would be spaceworthy. When I first saw it, it was a mess of holes, wires, and so on, clearly half-built but now it was coming together. There were hints of the scarab design that the Reach seemed to love - the sleek curves that marked where the head, torso, and back would be, but it seemed that the technicians went with practicality over aesthetics.

They smoothed over the segmented marks, making them flow into each other while getting rid of the antenna markings that served as weapons or pincer jaws. I still didn't know a lot about ships, but I guess it looked nice enough. Though, I was far more worried about how it would handle our escape. I didn't see any obvious weapons on it beyond some slots that looked like they could slide open to reveal a defensive turret, but other than that it didn't seem like it could hit hard.

I guess it didn't need to. We just needed to get out of dodge, if we got into a position that we were fighting against the Reach fleet, then having a little extra firepower wouldn't save us. Technician, I dubbed the alien that had made my scouter, noticed my entrance fist. It waved me over, it's expression displaying excitement so I'm guessing that it had good news.

"We're ahead of schedule," it informed as it gestured to a graph covered in squiggly lines. "We found a prototype power source that we were able to cannibalize for the ship, and that helped a great deal. The only problem is going to be fuel, but with the wink-drive, we should be able to make it back to Frieza-force controlled space and send out an SOS." It explained, gesturing to the squiggly lines. It seemed pretty happy about that, so I'm guessing that the lines were really good.

"And the wink-drive?" I asked, taking the edge off of Technician's good cheer. It nodded, the graphs changing with a flick of its wrists. This time, I'm going to say that the squiggly lines were bad. There were two, one red and one blue - the latter was just below the former at every point. Only barely, but it was noticeable.

"We're slightly behind," it admitted after a moment. "The wink-drive wasn't quite done in either theory or mechanically, so we're having to put on the finishing touches. We're making good progress with it, it's just not as fast as we would like."

I nodded slowly, "will it affect when we leave?" I questioned for clarity. The wink-drive was our ticket out of here. Even if we did find something else in the data we stole, we already invested time into the drive. Any delay could kill us.

"It shouldn't unless there's a serious unforeseen issue. In truth, my biggest concern is that we won't be able to test it before we escape. If we make a mistake...there is a not inconsiderable chance we'll simply be deleted from reality." It muttered quietly to me, and I'm guessing that tidbit of information wasn't common knowledge.

…"Then make sure we get it right the first time. I can't make any promises, but I'll do all that I can to buy you enough time to make sure that it works." Food and water were the biggest concerns and we would have to do something about them soon. Because every moment the Reach wasn't attacking us, they were building up their strength, securing their defenses and calling for reinforcements. Time wasn't on our side, not in the slightest.

"I hope we won't need you too," Technician said quietly and I took it as the conversation was over. I left them to their work, my mind trying to conjure up more ways all of this could go wrong or second-guessing every decision I just made. Were there better ways? Was there a solution that I wasn't seeing because of my ignorance and inexperience? Then there were the countless what-ifs - what if the Reach attacked? Could we hold them off? What if they decided to drop a massive bomb down here to take us all out at once?

I was all too aware that the Reach only stayed their hand because of the fear of collateral damage. If they weren't careful, then they could make the planet inhospitable if they damaged the thick shielding that covered the planet's surface. Especially when we were in the center of the planet - like a lot of things, I couldn't tell for sure, but I'm guessing that blowing up the planet core was a bad idea.

If they found a way around that limitation before we were ready…

It all came down to time.

"Everyone, meet me in here," I said, sending them some coordinates of a hanger that was big enough to serve our purposes. I got confirmation from my team before I took in a deep breath and switched to general coms. It was time to get started on what I could do. "All saiyans, come to this location for training."

I took my finger off the scouter and flew the remainder of the distance. I was the first to arrive at the hanger that was shaped much like the one I was in before. It was a lot bigger than the one on Queen Teach's flagship, easily large enough to for several oozaru's to duke it out without having to worry about the fight expanding beyond the ring. So long as no one got off a ki breath attack, and considering there would be several oozarus to keep them pinned, it should be fine.

All the while, I would be training the first other saiyan to master the Wrath State.

My team were the first to arrive with Matillo and Parslee in tow. It was clear to see who didn't like the decision and those that didn't care. Tora wore a deep scowl on his face, and Fasha looked unhappy with the decision as well. Shugesh, Borgos, and Parslee looked like they couldn't have cared less, while Matillo was the only one that expressed any kind of approval judging by his firm nod in my direction.

I took in a breath, meeting Tora's gaze, and chose to ignore the obvious displeasure that he displayed in favor of paying attention to the saiyans that began to fly through the door, wearing expressions of confusion. I didn't know any of their names, but it was impossible to mistake them for anything but saiyans with their hairstyles. They shared looks as they flew down to the floor where we were out, eyeing my team and me warily.

I waited until it was clear that there were no other saiyans coming. I looked up at the group of thirty saiyans, or so, that were standing in a disorganized crowd and a thought struck me. The black and white alien was right - all together, just under forty saiyans were enough to make a dent in our food reserves. Our species really did eat a crazy amount, didn't we?

There was a small silence before I realized everyone was waiting for me to start. Luckily, I came prepared. Saiyans wouldn't care for flowery speeches or hopeful messages. They would want the truth, no matter how brutal. So, that's what I would give them.

"We're in a bad spot," I started, stepping forward to make it clear that I was in charge. "and if we don't do something about it soon, then we're probably all going to die." I informed, the saiyans before me sharing looks and frowns but before any of them could say anything, I continued. "We're building our exit out of here now, but it's going to take time. The Reach is going to use that time to make it impossible for us to leave."

I knew what I would do. Place traps and mines on every level that the planet went down that was connected to this base, put every scarab that they could at the four entrances while positioning the fleet above them as well. When we left, we could be facing down a wall of plasma and black holes missiles.

"My team isn't strong enough to carve a path for us through the defenses they're going to set up, much less defeat them all. I can't do it either," I admitted. At that, the saiyans before me looked nervous. My power level was on display for all to see. A whopping 85,000. At this moment...I was likely one of the most powerful saiyans in history without going into our oozaru form. "We can't do this alone. We're going to need all of your help."

I heard one let out a scoff, a...whoa...that was one incredible hairdo, I thought, spotting the Saiyan with a flattop that added an extra foot to his height. "We're low-class. What can we do?"

I expected that question. "You're going to learn how to control your oozaru forms," I stated, carefully watching their reactions. There were too many for me to notice them all, but the general consensus was shock. Which was fair, I suppose. Learning how to control the oozaru form was a mid-class skill, and the highest power level amongst them was 3000. None of them likely ever thought they would learn how to do it, much less be taught.

"What?" One of them blurted, a female saiyan with half of her head left bare because of a nasty burn scar while the other half of her hair was shoulder-length locks. Her eyebrows drew together, and it seemed she was speaking what was on everyone's minds. "Why would you teach us that?"

Tora, Fasha and Parslee had brought up that same point. This time, I made sure that I was far more prepared to answer it.

"Because, even if we were strong enough," I started gesturing to my team. "There's only seven of us. This is a highly valued planet in the middle of Reach territory - I've already had to kill one special-class scarab already, and I doubt that it was the only one on the planet. If there's another one? Or another ten? Or a hundred of them?" I questioned, trying to make eye contact with all the saiyans before me but it was a little difficult since they all had to look down at me.

"We don't have the numbers. It's not even a matter of strength. We just can't completely stall the number of forces that the Reach will be throwing at us. They only have to get one strike in at the ship, and we're all dead." I explained, "but that's where all of you come in. After you master your oozaru forms, you'll be able to help us keep the enemy at bay long enough for us to escape."

A few saiyans grimaced at that, making me pause. What was wrong? Weren't they happy to be taught how to control their-

"So, we're a meatshield for the ship so you can get away?" One saiyan said in a low mummer, but it was so quiet that we all heard it. My gaze snapped to the saiyan, who was showing the barest hints that he was leaving his prime with a few wrinkles gathering around his eyes and a few gray hairs that stood out. His lips thinned as we made eye contact, but he didn't back down or take back what he said.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts as I shook my head. Unfortunately, I was also prepared for this because Tora brought up that point as well when I told my team the plan. Only he thought that it was the plan. I walked over to a small workbench that would undoubtedly be flattened once the training began and picked up a metal pipe.

"No," I answered shortly, holding the metal pipe up for the group of saiyans to see. "This is about us working together to achieve what we couldn't achieve alone. For example," I said, breaking the pipe with ease, "alone, my team would break easily. Our ship destroyed, and eventually, we would be picked off one by one even if it's only through attrition."

Then I grabbed several other pipes, "but if we work together, if we cover our weaknesses and support our strengths, then we can win." I said, slowly bending the pipes, only this time they didn't break. I hoped that clarified my point. "Together, working as a team, we can get out of here. But we can only do it if we work together." I stressed that point, my gaze sweeping over the crowd of saiyans. There was more that I wanted to say, all of them settling heavily on my tongue but I didn't say any of them.

Asking them to trust me wouldn't do anything. Asking them to set aside their pride to work together wouldn't do anything either. If anything, it would ruin whatever credibility that I had. All I could do was make them understand that we would all die if we didn't play our role. I had to hope that they would obey out of self-interest rather than belief or selflessness.

"So, who wants to learn how to control their oozaru form first?" I asked, and this time I received far more support. The saiyans, almost as one stepped forward, and when they realized it, they started posturing, determined to be the first one. It almost turned into a brawl, if it wasn't for Fasha stepping forward, the deep frown on her face gone.

"Strongest to weakest," she informed, and I realized that I should have went with that to start with. Bardock did say something about it was easier to learn the form when you were stronger in your base state. Which sounded a little backward to me, but what did I know about saiyan biology?

Five saiyans stepped forward, one with the flattop, the scarred woman, the elderly saiyan, and two others. Only the woman had a power level above 3000, though the others weren't too far behind. The rest, on the other hand, I noticed with some worry, were barely above 2000. That would be enough to keep some scout scarabs occupied, but not much else.

It was still better than nothing, I reminded myself. My gaze drifted over to my team, all of them following through with what we had planned. All but one of them would help train the saiyans to control their oozaru form, while the one leftover would learn the Wrath State from me. My gaze landed on Tora, who met it evenly before he gave me a sharp nod. Right. It was time.

"Make sure that you don't wreck the place," I told the team as Tora stepped forward. I floated off the ground while the rest of the saiyans fell back to safe distances. I got nods all around while Fasha gave me a lopsided smirk.

"Right back at you. Don't let stuffy wreck the place," she said, making Tora roll his eyes and getting a weak smile back from me. She waved us away before she turned her attention to her first student, and I could only hope that the saiyans were quick learners. We would need all of them when the time came, and if they couldn't master it...then I didn't know what plan B was.

Tora and I flew through the hallways in heavy silence, going to another end of the base that was far away enough from everyone. Originally, I wanted to teach the weakest, then work our way up to the strongest, but Tora had stepped forward before I could bring the idea up. I didn't overrule him simply because this was what we needed.

Since I was put in charge, we hadn't had an actual conversation about it. It just became a pissing contest. This was a chance to clear the air before we found ourselves neck-deep in the shit again.

We entered another hanger some distance away, the sound of the door closing behind us echoed out through the large hanger, or testing area, though it was smaller than the one that could fit ten oozarus. In silence, we flew down to the center of the room, Tora landing some feet behind me. Taking in a bracing breath, I turned around to face Tora, the man who should be the one in charge, and met his hard gaze.

"We need to talk," I said, getting a nod from Tora. He let out a soft sigh as his lips turned down into a frown, and he was all too quick to start things off.

"Tarble, there's no point in trying to save the 501st," he stated bluntly. My hands curled into fists, mostly because I was expecting him to start off with training the other saiyans to control their oozaru form. "We could have gotten off the planet if you hadn't gone back to rescue them, and now that we're stuck here, most of them are dead weight."

"The technicians aren't. They're our ticket out of here. There's no guarantee that we could have escaped in the first place. We don't know where that fleet came from, or how big it is. Even if we managed to steal a ship, odds were we would have been shot down. Or we would have eventually hit one of their FTL blockers, so we would be dead in space deep in Reach territory."

Tora, surprisingly, nodded, "yeah, you're right. There are no guarantees in battle. But there also wasn't any guarantee that those technicians would have found anything useful. Or they would be able to understand any of it. Or they would be able to do anything with it if they did find something. It was a risk that paid off." He was agreeing with me. Why didn't I like that?

"But, the issue is why you went back to save them. Unless you're telling me that you saw this coming?" Tora asked, his tone telling me that he already knew the answer.

"I…" A lie rested heavily on my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. Lying that I did see it coming, that I knew that there was valuable information on my scouter and that I knew the 501st would be able to do something with it just seemed...something that a human would do. To save face. "No, I didn't."

I quickly continued before Tora could press on and roll over me to win the argument. "But just because a lot of them can't do much now, doesn't mean that they won't be useful down the line," I argued. Admitting that they deserved to be saved wouldn't help me here. I had to argue with logic, not sentiment. "I was deadweight too when I first joined-"

"No, Tarble, you weren't," Tora interjected, his tone serious. I looked up at him, caught completely off guard by the...compliment? I thought we were going to argue, then use the training exercise as an excuse to beat the shit out of each other. "We covered you, sure, and we handled the most difficult tasks until you were ready, but any task we gave you, you got done. You were never once deadweight on any mission we've been on together."

I...I wasn't prepared for compliments. Of any kind. Much less right now when I was ready to argue and fight.

"But you're arguing around the issue," Tora was quick to reprimand, firmly staring into my yellow eyes. I tensed, knowing that much was true. "You went back to save them because you wanted to," he stated, hammering the nail right on the head. "Why?"

Still caught flat footed, I hesitated to answer, wanting to think of a way to frame the truth that would make me appear less...me. The saiyan that couldn't kill civilians, that cared what other aliens thought of me, that saved the 501st because I felt guilty about them being here in the first place. I've managed to keep most of my shortcomings a secret, but now I had to admit their existence.

"I…" I trailed off before my shoulders lumped ever so slightly in defeat. "Because they're part of the team now. I'm the leader. It's my job to make sure that they come back from the mission. My calls got over two-thirds of them killed already," I admitted, my hands uncurling from the white-knuckled fists that they had been.

I heard Tora sigh, "Tarble, do you remember what Bardock said during your first mission?" He asked, earning a slow nod from me.

"The mission, the team, then pride," I quoted, wondering where he was going with this. How could I forget those words?

"You're putting pride over the mission and the team," he told me. I frowned at that. How was I putting pride in front of the mission and the team? I was trying to save the team and the 501st-

"The thing is, those aliens? They're generic trash," he continued coldly, but not cruelly. "Just like how we were generic trash back when we were low-class warriors. The mission was a failure. We couldn't take the world, and we can't inflict enough damage to halt production. Our priority should have been retreating out of the system."

"Instead, you chose to save the 501st. Maybe that was the right call in hindsight, there's no telling at this point. But you didn't do it out of practicality, you did it because you wanted to save everyone," Tora said and my lips thinned, his words containing a little too much truth in them for comfort. "Tarble, the thing is, you're misunderstanding what your role as a leader is."

Tora took a few steps forward before taking a knee, and even then he still towered over me. "Your goal isn't to make sure that everyone returns from a mission. It's to make sure that the mission is completed," he told me, making me shift uncomfortably. "The mission, then the team, then your pride."

It...he wasn't...entirely wrong...I guess…

As if sensing that he was winning the argument, he swiftly followed it up with, "You can't do it all Tarble. You can't accomplish every mission and make sure no one dies. Bardock only managed it because he was working with a small team, not with an entire company in enemy territory. Thinking that you can is nothing but pride talking. The mission comes before the team - you have to be able to make sacrifices to accomplish the mission. The team part of it is to make those sacrifices as few as possible."

Even as my brain rebelled at the idea, I couldn't deny a certain amount of truth in his words. In a way, I did put my pride over the mission. I dressed it up differently, but I saved the 501st because I wanted to. Because I didn't want to be responsible for any more of their deaths. It had worked out so far, but what if there hadn't been a technician that could work on the wink-drive? Then where would we be?

"The 501st was Queen Teach's best troops," I argued back. Just because he had a point didn't mean I had to accept that he was right. I had my own points to make. "Aliens that can survive in ten Gs are rare, in the first place. And some of them are fairly strong. Throwing them all away would impact the war effort."

Tora looked slightly annoyed, "Tarble, who cares about the war effort?" He asked, bringing me up short.

I simply blinked, looking at Tora with a bewildered expression while he looked back at me with an equally confused expression. What did he mean, 'who cares about the war effort?' "I...what? You don't care about winning the war?" I asked, struggling to wrap my head around what he was implying.

"Of course I want to win, but I couldn't care less about if Frieza wins," Tora explained, his eyebrows drawing together. "Tarble, we're living underneath Frieza's boot. For the longest time, we were one bad day away from being wiped out by Frieza. He hated us and we hated him. It was never a secret. Bardock and I talked about it for a long time - we thought that he would use the war as an excuse to drive our species into extinction."

I shifted ever so slightly, several memories coming to mind. The first and foremost was the ease that Lord Frieza destroyed Sereall...but another quickly followed of a lesser form of Lord Frieza destroying Planet Vegeta. Of a beaten and bloodied Bardock trying to stop the Death Ball, only to fail. As discomforting as it was, I don't think that Tora was wrong on the account that Lord Frieza could wipe us out if he wanted to.

Any argument that I could make was undercut by uncertainty. The lifting of our species cap for the war could only be during the war. Once we won, if Lord Frieza decided to reinstitute the population cap of three thousand, then millions, possibly billions of saiyans...would be killed. Mercilessly. Tora seemed to realize he made a point, so he quickly followed it up.

"We knew that, so we decided to do something about it. Bardock started taking more dangerous missions and completed them in the hopes that he would gain Frieza's favor. And he did. He did it to secure the saiyan races place in the Frieza-force so Frieza wouldn't kill us all whenever he felt like it." Tora continued, his tone tired. That...made a degree of sense, I had to admit. The lengths that Bardock would have to go to in order to be the employee of the year for a decade straight would have been extreme if his only goal was to seek greater challenges.

But that explanation didn't make sense. "Then how can you not care about if we win or not? If Lord Frieza loses then I doubt that the Reach would treat us any better."

Tora frowned at me, "do you really think Bardock would only have one plan for this? We can still win even if Frieza loses because the only way the Frieza-force loses is if they manage to kill Frieza and Cooler. Then the boot that King Cold put us under will be gone. We'll be free."

That...sounded like the best-case scenario. Only the best-case scenario never happens. "The Reach will come after us," I pointed out with a frown. "And so will plenty of other races. We might live underneath Frieza's boot but no one can strike at us without striking him by extension."

I could almost see the future that he was trying to paint for me. It looked nice, right up until I paid attention to the gritty details. The saiyan race had a lot of enemies, and we would only make more once the leash was taken off. If the Green Lanterns showed up in force, we would be done for. If the Reach targeted us specifically, we were done for.

Tora nodded, "probably, but that hardly matters. We have options. Each of us has a planet - well, Shugesh doesn't unless Fasha feels like giving one up. We can go to one of them with whatever saiyans want to go with us, then start over with the saiyan race while the others are enslaved or killed. The point is that the outcome of the war doesn't affect us. The war effort doesn't matter - our only concern should be growing stronger. Let that other crap be dealt with by the ones who actually care about it."

I thought about it for the briefest of seconds before I realized the issue. It wasn't just a matter of a difference in opinion, but a difference in priorities. Tora...was prioritizing the team - me, Fasha, Shugesh, and Borgos. By extension Matillo and Parslee. He was willing to sacrifice fifteen thousand soldiers if it meant that we escaped.

The same for the rest of the saiyan race. He was willing to let them go to suffer whatever fate befell them so long as the rest of us were taken care of.

And I wasn't. And...I...think he might be right, to a degree.

I took in a slow breath and shook my head. "No," I refused flatly. I knew I wasn't a normal saiyan, even compared to Tora and the others, who were also weren't normal. I couldn't do it. It was a weakness, and I knew it, but I just couldn't write off thousands of lives when I was responsible for them. I couldn't look at the war and decide that whoever lost, I would win by abandoning the rest of my race to suffer whatever fate befell them.

"No?" Tora echoed, looking faintly surprised.

I nodded, "No," I repeated, trying to put my thoughts into words. I wasn't very good at it, I never was. "I...think you might be right that I was putting my pride above the mission. I know I can't make sure no one dies, especially with so many weaker aliens, but I'm not going to throw lives away because it's convenient. I'll make sure the mission is completed, and I'll do it with as few casualties as I can manage."

In the end, my idea of the team was simply much larger than Tora's. Or Bardock's or any of the others.

I wasn't supposed to care about their lives, I knew. Those other five thousand aliens...if I was a true saiyan, I wouldn't just not hesitate about leaving them all to die if it saved my life, but I was supposed to be able to kill them with my bare hands if it meant my survival. Even to Tora, who went out of his way to save the others so many times, to risk his own life for another, couldn't understand extending that to thousands of others. Much less aliens.

"And if it comes down to your life or the 501st?" Tora pressed, cutting to the heart of the matter.

Then...as the leader… "Then I make sure I don't die alone," I said, feeling surprisingly...light after the declaration. It felt...good. I struggled to put the feeling into words, but it felt like I finally had something called conviction. Like I had taken a step forward, just like I had when I had a jump in power level that inched me closer to becoming elite-class. It felt like I made progress even though I wasn't physically stronger.

"I don't get it," Tora admitted, telling me what I already knew. I didn't blame him. I don't think there was a saiyan in our history that felt what I felt. The human memories tainted my thinking too much, making me different than any other saiyan. "But...I understand," he continued after a moment, a small grin on his face as he reached out to thump me on the head.

"Seriously, where were you hiding this personality for the past four years?" Tora said, standing. I let the blow fall, too stunned to even think of swatting it away as his knuckles thumped lightly on the top of my head. Something that Bardock used to do.

He understood? He...was accepting that?

"You're okay with me being the leader?" I heard myself ask quietly, unable to meet Tora's gaze, a fear lurking beneath the surface of what I would find in his gaze.

Tora was silent for a moment, and it was telling. "I still have some worries," Tora admitted after that long moment. "But you've proved me wrong about the bulk of them." And that was enough, I guess. It wasn't a perfect solution where both of us were happy, and there were still issues between us that were unresolved.

But that was okay for now. We would have time to sort that out later. For now? It was enough.

"Are you ready to learn how to use the Wrath State?" I asked, moving on from our differences, meeting Tora's gaze to see determination. He gave a small nod, trying to show that he was ready...but he wasn't. Not really.

Now, how to put this into words.

"First, look deep inside of yourself and find that feeling of your power growing when you transform like this; hnnn!" I said, clenching my fists at my side and closing my eyes, adopting an expression of contemplation. I cracked open an eye to see that Tora's brow was furrowed deeply. He stood there in silence for a few minutes before his furrowed brow deepened.

"I think I found it," Tora said, and it really wasn't that much of a shock that he was able to find it so easily. I had to spend about three days transforming nonstop to find it, but outside of a few rare occurrences, I rarely ever used my oozaru form while Tora has for nearly three decades at this point.

Alright. Here comes the fun part. "You pull up on the power, and let it flow through you like; woosh!" I explained but quickly followed it up with, "the pain is going to hit you immediately and so will the rage. The pain feeds into the rage, making it nearly unbearable, and you're going to be tempted to just sink into the rage to avoid the pain but you have to resist it like; HNNNNN!" I said, my expression shifting to one of extreme willpower.

To help complete the image, I let some of my power leak out, my necklace floating upwards as I displayed the kind of will power it took to not let yourself be driven insane by the pain of the Wrath State.

"Find a balance between the pain, rage and your sanity like; hmmmm," I hummed, Tora nodded slowly, showing that he understood but he didn't. But he was about to.

Tora took in a slow breath, finding the well of power inside of him. Instantly, my scouter shot upwards as he let the power of the oozaru channel through him - 65,000.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A scream ripped from Tora's throat, veins bulging on his neck and face, his yellow eyes meeting mine for a split second. I saw veins rupture in them, dying his scales a deep red as he clenched his hands into fists so tightly that blood seeped through his fingers. The full force of his power washed over me like a wave as Tora trembled, his fists shaking as he fought against the pain and rage. To his credit, he lasted a couple of seconds before he launched himself at me.

I jerked my head out of the way of the fist that came flying my way as I reared back my own fist. I still could only barely recall my first time entering the Wrath State, but I remembered what I tried to do. I was willing to cut and chew off limbs if it meant that I could attack the enemy. Nothing else mattered than destroying whatever challenged my strength. If Kaylark hadn't arrived when she did, I would have wiped that city off the map, regardless of the hundreds of thousands of Frieza-force soldiers stationed there.

And we couldn't afford the kind of injuries that would impact our combat performance. Not when we didn't have any healing pods or that biofoam stuff.

Tora mindlessly swiped at me, no form in his attacks. Like this, he was little more than a small oozaru. The only benefits were that he wasn't as slow. I dodged the attack with ease before I went in close and planted my fist deep in his diaphragm. The Frieza-force force armor had a weakness - because it was so malleable, it couldn't block kinetic force very well. Not sure if conventional weapons were a worry, but it meant that his armor did nothing to protect Tora from me burying a fist just underneath his ribcage.

Tora stumbled, his lungs empty of air as he practically folded over my fist. As his head went down, I flipped in mid-air, a foot raised that I brought down in an axe kick to the back of his head. Tora slammed into the ground hard enough that the metal planting gave way to him, a Tora shaped crater forming, though the deepest point was where his head impacted. The air in the testing room stirred, whipped up before settling back down quickly.

I touched down next to Tora, looking down at his unmoving form for a moment. "Did you come to your senses yet?" I asked, figuring if I got another roar of senseless rage then that would be a no. I would just have to keep hitting him until he was knocked unconscious, which was how I was forced to leave the Wrath State last time. Only it was because I nearly ran out of blood.

Tora shifted, his hands going out to push himself out of the crater. Once his head was free he rolled out of it, settling heavily on his back. His face was sorting a few cuts and bruises, while his eyes were completely bloodshot but other than that he looked okay. Yet he wasn't getting up.

"Tarble…" Tora spoke in a quiet voice, his gaze drifting over to me, and it settled unusually heavily on me as our eyes met. "Is the pain… are you feeling it right now?"

I gave a slow nod. The pain never left. All that power was just shoved in a too-small container. I couldn't imagine that the pain would fade until I grew larger, and even then it was only going to be by a fraction.

"You get used to it," I reassured.

Strangely, I don't think it helped.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	24. Smell of the Calm part 2

Fasha let out a mindless scream of rage, veins bulging in her muscular arms as she clawed at her face, losing herself in the rage and pain. She would have clawed her eyes out if I hadn't grabbed her hands to stop her from doing it. I've heard Fasha scream hundreds of times in the past four years - at the team when one of them was pissing her off, at the enemy, I've seen her scream in frustration, delight and just because she wanted to.

The sound of her screaming in agony was going to haunt me, I knew as I drove a knee into the back of her neck to knock her out. Thankfully, she went down, collapsing into a heap and finally going silent. I looked at her, her expression still twisted in pain, though it faded as the Wrath State diminished with every second. Letting out a small breath, I took in the room and how it suffered over the past two days.

It reminded me of my room back in Planet Vegeta after about three months of fighting saibamen. Craters littered the ground, scorch marks, twisted pieces of metal laying about with the occasional hole in the wall. Now that I really looked at it, it seemed nearly identical, only it was about a thousand times bigger than my room on Planet Vegeta. Only now, instead of getting beaten nearly to death, I was training my team.

My lips thinned as I delivered a kick to Fahsa's ribs, hard enough to wake her from her stupor. She didn't have any time to rest. None of us did. Things were going to come to a head soon enough, so we couldn't waste a single second.

"Fasha, get up," I ordered, kicking her again and getting a weak groan that confirmed that she was still alive. It took her a few seconds to push herself up, crawling to her feet even if she swayed dangerously once she stood. She wiped some blood from her lip before spitting more out. Cuts and scratches littered her body, her armor broken in some places from where I hit her a little too hard. She was in bad shape.

"Go get one of the others-" I started to order, some of my frustration leaking into my voice. We weren't making enough progress fast enough. On every front, we were falling behind. A three-day deadline seemed like it wouldn't even be close to enough.

"I can try again," Fasha argued with a shake of her head. Her eyes were narrowed into slits, daring me to question the issue. I nearly did, but the only thing holding me back was the fact that Fasha knew her limits better than anyone else. If she thought that she could go again, then I would believe her.

"Alright," I accepted. "Just remember that it's not about beating the pain or the rage. You have to find a balance between them. Too much of the rage and you'll lose yourself. Too much pain and you'll go mad." I reminded, my tone even and earned a sharp nod from Fasha. I watched her settle into a wide stance, her hands clenched into fists as she hunched over, as if she could brace for the pain and rage.

She took in a deep breath as I settled into my own stance, waiting for what seemed like the inevitable. My scouter counter shot upwards as Fasha's power lever climbed. After the past few days, they had nearly mastered that part of the process. Veins bulged in her face and neck, her eyes shifting to a feral looking yellow. She let out a strangled sound as she curled into herself, fighting against the rage and pain.

"Aahhh…!" Fasha gasped out, gritting her teeth as she fought for control. Her muscles strained against her pink undersuit, trying to rip free of them but the synthetic fabric simply grew with them. More veins bulged as the power of the oozaru flowed through her. "Ahhhh...aHHHH!" She screamed, throwing her head back as if she could scare the pain into submission. It was a tortured sound that ripped out of her throat, of someone experiencing the kind of agony that couldn't be captured with mere words.

It was a sound that I hated to come from one of my teammates, but one that I was coming to expect.

"Find a balance! Focus on me! Focus on the fight, not the pain or rage," I coached her kicking off the ground to rush her. Fasha simply snarled in response, going to meet me halfway with a knee aimed at my face. I let my hopes soar as I dipped out of the way before I was forced to block an elbow aimed at my temple with my forearm. She was able to fight like she wasn't a rabid animal. That was progress.

"Good, keep it up! Focus on that feeling - that's the balance you've been looking for. Try to find it's center," I coached, flipping upwards to deliver an axe kick that Fasha managed to block. I saw a vein burst in one of her eyes, her face flushed as fat drops of sweat gathered on her brow. I knew it was an uphill battle but she was past the worst of it. "You can do it Fasha!"

"I'm…!" Fasha managed to rasp out between clenched teeth, aiming an uppercut at my gut that I dodged with ease.

The past two days made me reflect on my own first experience with the Wrath State and the things that had helped me stay in control. A powerful enemy for me to focus on was one of them. A goal also helped - kill the Green Lantern, protect the team. Something to center me. The last piece wasn't any help to them. They didn't have years of experience of slipping into themselves, to control their thoughts in such a manner. When I brought it up, all of them gave me odd looks. Including Matillo.

"Try to use a ki attack," I ordered flipping away from her and dodging a jab with the same motion. Instantly, I saw the light from a ki attack form in her hands - it wasn't a technique, but it was the first step. It also meant that she was aware enough to follow orders. She fired a torrent of ki at me, as unrefined as an oozaru attack. At her power level, I didn't have a choice but to block it.

I caught the front of it with my hands, refusing to give any ground to the attack as Fasha poured everything that she had into it. All to destroy me. It felt weird touching someone else's ki attack - it was almost like pressing my hands against water lightly enough that the surface tension held up, but the water hand force behind it yet the surface tension wouldn't break.

This level of attack would wreck the base, and I didn't want to risk anything happening to our base that was built in the center of a planet. It just seemed like a bad idea to me. Instead, I was forced to endure it until Fasha gave the attack up. I felt it surge, warning me that the source of the unrestrained torrent of ki was getting closer and I fought off a smile.

As soon as she cut the attack off, I was already dodging, dipping underneath a roundhouse kick aimed at my head. She was able to use tactics. They were rudimentary, but it was better than the wild attacks I've been dealing with for the past two days.

"Rah!" Fasha snarled at me, lashing out with a fist that I dodged. My smile was quick to fade as she attacked me again with another fist, the snarl deepening with each failed attack. I could feel the rage growing inside of her, fueled by frustration that she hadn't beaten me into a pulp yet. I couldn't let her get a few hits in either, because she needed to learn how to balance the rage and pain in spite of any outside influences.

The scarabs wouldn't let her get a free hit in, so I couldn't either.

"Fasha!" I yelled out, trying to get her to focus but the rage grew, her attacks became wilder until any semblance of strategy was lost. Now, she was attacking simply to destroy me, no thought involved. "Fasha, come on, you can do it. Just focus," I tried to encourage her, only to get a mindless roar of rage in response. The dominos were knocked over, causing a cascading effect until she was completely lost.

A sigh escaped me as I blocked a fist with my shin before I dunked her head, using it as a springboard to flip over her. I grabbed her unarmored tail, getting a shocked cry from her before Fasha stumbled. Then with a well placed kick to the back of the head, she dropped to her knees, then face planted. This time, however, she wasn't immediately knocked unconscious. Her breathing was labored, and for a moment she simply laid down.

"I can-" she started, knowing what was about to come out of my mouth, but this time I was forced to overrule her.

"Get some rest, then you can try again in a few hours," I said with a small shake of my head. Fasha struggled to push herself up only for them to give out underneath her. I grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her from face planting again, and earned a weak smirk from her as thanks. Since she couldn't stand on her own, I threw an arm over my shoulders and rose off my feet so that I would roughly be the same as she normally stood.

I learned that the others didn't appreciate getting dragged on the floor when they became too exhausted to continue. Weakly, she stepped forward, not arguing, though, from the weight, it seemed that she was forced to mime the action of walking since she was too exhausted to actually walk. Had I pushed her too hard? I wanted to make sure that everyone was in fighting shape in the off chance that the Reach decided to launch an assault.

"You really are something, Tarble," Fasha muttered, her voice slightly slurred. Um, I think I might have given her a concussion. Whoops? "I thought you were just making a big show of how hard the Wrath State is to learn...you make it look so easy…" she trailed off, her lips tugging into a frown before a sigh that seemed to deflate her.

Then she chuckled, "Tora was freaking out when you broke his leg. Never saw that coming from you." She commented as I lead her down the hallways. Now that we were a little more established in the base, I saw patrols walking the halls, still on high alert just in case there was something that we had missed.

"Sorry," I apologized, thinking that had been a little heavy-handed, but I didn't know how else to make them see without teaching them the Wrath State. Now, hopefully, they understood what I was talking about. I guess some things you just had to experience for yourself.

"Eh, don't go apologizing for anything," Fasha waved the issue away as we took a turn that lead us away from the training area. "I thought it was pretty funny after the shock wore off." Of course, she would. We came across another patrol of aliens, who parted ways for us to continue by. I nodded at them, something that they returned. I'm not sure what the gesture meant, but they seemed to appreciate me acknowledging that they exist.

"How are the others doing? You said the one with the scar was doing pretty well, right?" I asked, thinking I might as well get an update on the other class of saiyans. I haven't had a chance to interact with them much beyond viewing some of their lessons when I went to pick up another member of my team to learn the Wrath State.

From what I saw, it was true that it was a lot easier to learn how to control the oozaru transformation when you were stronger. Which was a very, very, very bad thing.

"Lotuce?" Fasha gave a name to the face before giving me a small nod. "She's pretty much got it. Now she's teaching the others when you have one of us learning the Wrath State." She let out a small huff as she sent me a lopsided grin, "now she's dropping hints that she's interested in getting some one on one time with you too."

I thought about it for a moment before I nodded, "sure. I'm not sure how much good it would do, but if she thinks that she can learn it then I don't mind-"

"You really couldn't care less about the class issue, could you?" Fasha interrupted, earning a sideways glance from me. "I always figured you did since it was like all you did was work to become an elite-class. Well, when you weren't sleeping for weeks," she teased me as I fought off a frown.

"No, I never really cared about being elite-class. I just wanted my family to acknowledge me," I told her. I expected more teasing, or her to flat out make fun of me. Instead, a troubled expression passed over her face before she looked away. That was...weird. But maybe it wasn't. Bardock had something akin to a family - actually, given what he said to Vegeta, he considered Gine and their kids to be a family. Maybe she felt like she was missing out, or something?

I'll have to do something about that. If she wanted a family then maybe I could set her up with Parslee or Tora? Maybe Shugesh? They were always bickering back and forth, so maybe there was something there but they didn't understand it? I would bring it up with Tora and Matillo. They would know what to do.

Fasha fell silent, apparently deep in thought. We arrived at the makeshift barracks, the door sliding open to reveal one of many testing rooms. Synththread hammocks meant we could squeeze more soldiers in the large room. Each block, or testing room, held about five hundred soldiers, so this entire wing was more or less dedicated to living space.

I flew her up to a hammock before tossing her in it. Fasha could stop the low gasp of relief as she sunk into the stainless fabric, letting her body rest. Before I could leave, she reached out and grabbed my wrist with the strength of a newborn. Looking back at her, she opened her mouth but nothing came out of it. She stared at me for a few seconds, closing her mouth and when she did speak, I'm guessing it wasn't what she meant to say before.

"What are our chances?" Fasha asked instead, asking a question that's answer had been on my mind for the past two days.

I looked away, my gaze landing on an alien showing off its stub of an arm to two other members of its species. One was missing a lizard tail, while the other was missing a leg. They were alive, but they weren't in one piece. That more or less summed up the entire situation, didn't it?

"Not good," I answered honestly, looking back at Fasha. She nodded, likely expecting that answer. "So rest up while you still can."

"Right back at you," Fasha returned with resigned acceptance, her eyes closing as she quickly drifted off to sleep. I envied her.

However, I didn't have time to lay around. Ii left Fasha behind, letting her get some much-needed rest, and headed to the training room for the other saiyans. A knot of tension formed in between my shoulder blades, a constant reminder of the situation that we were in. My stomach growled, also reminding me that we were already running out of food and if it wasn't for some kind of recycler that this place had then we would be out of water.

My hands clenched as I flew a little faster through the halls, sticking to the ceiling so no one would have to move out of my way. This was a bad situation to start with and all the little problems were making things so much worse.

I arrived at the training hanger in no time, forced to slow down or I would slam into the doors. When they opened, I was greeted with a deep bellowing roar followed by the sight of several oozarus going at it. The savagery in some of them made it easy to tell which ones were in control from those that weren't. Borgos grabbed the face of one, clamping its mouth shut when one tried to fire off a ki breath attack.

Even in a fog of mindless rage, the oozaru knew better than to continue the attack, else it's throat would explode. In that moment of hesitation, Borgos grabbed the oozaru by the tail before slamming it into the ground hard enough the entire room shook. Apparently it was hooked up into a different grid than the rest of the base, so I could only guess what they were testing here.

"My prince," Matillo greeted, sending a nod at me. He was sporting some bruises, and his undersuit was torn badly enough that he ripped off the top half, revealing at least three centuries worth of scars that were scattered over his torso. I flew down to him, turning my attention back to the fighting oozarus - the rest of the team was trying to control a wild one, and I noticed a few others helping the process along.

Looking at it now, I knew the truth.

"It's not enough," I said, hoping my words would be lost in one of the roars of an oozaru. Three days wouldn't be enough time. Four days wouldn't be enough time. A week wouldn't be enough time. Unless everyone made incredible breakthroughs in the next few hours, then we couldn't afford to try to break through the defensive perimeter the Reach set up on the remaining exit.

Even if the wink drive was finished tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to leave. With only me able to stay sane in the Wrath State, and five others that managed to master their oozaru forms, we wouldn't be able to keep the pressure off the ship so we could escape. Meaning that food and water just became a real problem because we could be stuck down here for a few more days.

However, it seemed that I wasn't so lucky because my words caught Matillo's attention if the glance he gave me was anything to go by. I could only hope that the other saiyans that were recovering didn't hear me as well.

Matillo nodded, "we're progressing too slowly," he agreed with a factual tone. He knew he was speaking the truth and I couldn't bring myself to offer up any empty platitudes. It wasn't a matter of lack of effort - everyone was pushing themselves to their absolute limits, but it just wasn't enough.

"We need to think about food," I told Matillo frowning as I watched the training. The out of control oozarus almost acted like Fasha - in control for seconds before slowly losing their grip on their rage and urges to destroy. "We'll have to stage a raid for supplies, but the Reach is going to be expecting it." There was no way that they weren't prepared for it.

"Hm. Do we know where we could locate food and water?" Matillo asked, a deep frown on his face as he considered our situation. I could only wonder if he had ever been in such a position before.

Thankfully, I could nod in confirmation at his question. "We have a couple of promising leads - protein and moisture farms on a level before the cut off point." There wasn't much since the biological population on this planet was small, and they kept it so deep in the planet's crust to prevent any chance of radiation contamination. "But they're going to be heavily guarded since they're the obvious picks."

Matillo nodded, idly stroking his beard in thought. "If we do overcome their defenses, then they'll bolster them later since we've proven that we can. It'll make escaping more difficult," he commented, his words make an unfortunate amount of sense. "Even then, the most we could manage is to get a few days worth of food and water. We'd be buying time, but the Reach will use that time against us."

So, it was a choice between starving or risking being unable to escape with the few days worth of food we did get our hands on.

"It might be expedient to simply kill off those that are too injured to fight when the time comes. Not only would it save us a considerable amount of food, but we could recycle the bodies for food and water," Matillo spoke, his tone thoughtful. I went very still for a moment - I'm not sure why it did, but the casual dismissal of life caught me off guard. Matillo, so far, struck me as very reasonable. He even supported me more openly than my team did since I've known him.

But he was still a saiyan.

Worse, I was forced to give the idea some thought simply because it was another option, bring my choices up to three. All three of them were terrible, of course but being a leader was rapidly becoming a choice of picking the least worst option. My hands clenched into fists, thinking back to those lizard aliens that had been talking in the barracks. If I gave that order then they would be kill-...executed in cold blood to be turned into resources.

In a purely practical view, it was the best option. We would be turning deadweight and hungry mouths into food and water, increasing our stores and lowering our consumption of those stores at the same time. We already lost over a hundred due to wounds sustained from battle, if we ate the crippled and incapable, we could shave off nearly a thousand others.

"I'll consider it," I said, swallowing a grimace as I crossed my arms. I hated it. It was revolting and sickening, but what I felt didn't matter. Not anymore. I had to do what was best for all of us. Even still, I...wanted a fourth option. A fourth option that wouldn't result in our collective deaths, or having to eat our dead or murdering the crippled. Only that fourth option either didn't exist or I haven't found it yet.

Matillo nodded approvingly, "You bear the burden of leadership well, my prince." He said, laughing lightly when I couldn't stop myself from sending him a disbelieving look. "I know the burden well," he elaborated, watching the mindless oozarus with me. "Before your ancestor united the tribes, I lead my own for quite some time."

As if struck with a fond memory, one of his hands went up to trace the X shaped scar on his scalp. Despite the situation and the concerns that plagued me, I found my interest piqued. Matillo had answered a lot of questions I had on the trip here, but I still had plenty more. My interest must have shown because Matillo spoke, even though I knew better than to ask. There were so many things that I could do better with my time than listen to history lessons but...

"I actually tried to do the same as King Vegeta the First back when I was in my prime," he told me, his tone wistful. "I went from tribe to tribe, challenging their leaders. In the beginning, for years and years, I was defeated each time. It was only when I began to refine my techniques that I met any measure of success."

"Is that why your ki control is so good in your oozaru form?" I asked, earning a confirming nod. I still wanted to learn how to do that-

"I'd be happy to pass those techniques to you. It seems to be the least I can offer in exchange for the Wrath State," he offered, nodding at me. "Perhaps, in time, you can master it so it won't pain you so to remain in that state." He said, his words loaded despite how lightly they were spoken.

I shifted, nodding to accept the offer. The idea did have merit, after all. Right now, it was all or nothing. If instead of a times five, or a times two, the pain would be greatly diminished. Like wise, there existed the possibility...that I could push it even further beyond a times ten multiplier.

"But, it was a great many years before I had defeated enough tribes to have something resembling an army. And, even then, there were only a few hundred of us, but at the time, that was the single largest tribe to be found on Planet Plant. Hm. Rival tribes all over the planet sent their children to mine to learn my techniques…" Matillo said, sounding like an old man talking about the good old days.

"Eventually, I thought we had enough strength to take on the Truffles," he continued with a small sigh. Given that King Vegeta the First was the one to conquer the Truffles, it was easy to guess how that ended. "We lost, of course. A crushing defeat, in all honesty. I didn't use my head, I simply tried to overpower them."

I watched the oozarus fight, Tora's pinning one to the ground while he clamped its mouth shut and yanked on its tail.

"I never heard anything about that," I said, watching the mindless oozarus continue to struggle against my team.

"History only remembers the victors," Matillo dismissed. "And that was a long time before King Vegeta the First was sent to what was left of my tribe. I think...about three centuries, at least," Matillo muttered thoughtfully, stroking his beard with a few fingers.

Wait. Three centuries before King Vegeta the First conquered the Truffles? Which happened about three hundred years ago? It was a simple math problem, but it didn't add up.

"...how old are you?" I couldn't stop myself from asking, looking up at Matillo with wide yellow eyes. At the very least, he was six hundred years old. Six. Hundred. Years old. I thought him being three hundred was ancient, but that was beyond my wildest expectations.

Matillo gave a small shrug, "I'm uncertain. I know I was amongst the first generation to be born on Planet Vegeta, but we didn't bother keeping track-"

"You're over a thousand years old," I informed, stunned at that revelation. There weren't exact dates, especially since we were ignorant of the galactic standard measurement of time, but there have been twelve full moons on Planet Vegeta since we first landed there. A full moon only happened once every hundred years. Meaning that Matillo was somewhere around one thousand and two hundred years old. And he was still alive.

He looked faintly surprised by the number, but not displeased. "Am I now?"

That was...amazing...and...not important right now, was it? If we didn't get out of this situation then none of us were going to live for three more days, much less three centuries.

"My old age aside," Matillo said as if sensing my dread returning. "The point I was trying to make was that I understand the burdens of leadership. I didn't for the longest time, nearly a thousand years apparently, but seeing King Vegeta the First rise to power, and now yourself...it makes me look back on choices that I made...and I wonder if things would have turned out differently if I had acted more like your ancestor."

I glanced at him, curious, "what do you mean?" Actual detail about King Vegeta's conquest over the Truffles was rather lacking. All I knew was that not only did he win every single battle, but every victory was decisive. That, and he finished them off by using the full moon to slaughter their remaining holdout cities.

"King Vegeta the First...hmm...he was never where you'd thought he'd be," Matillo said, pausing as if he had to reach back in his memories, though there was a fondness in his voice. "That's how he was always ten steps ahead of the Truffles. They were expecting a dumb brute, and every time he proved them wrong. He would only strike where they were at their weakest, and when they learned to expect that and prepared traps, he would attack them where they were at their strongest."

Matillo smiled at a memory that only he could see, "surprise was his weapon of choice. I don't know how he did it, but he was always out thinking the enemy. When they set ambushes, he ambushed them instead. When they were expecting a small force, he brought the entire might of the saiyan race upon them, and when they expected a large attack we were nowhere to be found because we were attacking somewhere else entirely." He chuckled at something before he continued, "He used their arrogance and technology against them. Whatever advantage he could find, he exploited, and he did it while balancing the tribes by checking their- our aggression. He- My prince? Are you still listening?"

I wasn't because my mind started to race as an idea hit me with the force of an oozaru sized fist. No, calling it an idea was too much. It was undeserving to even be called a plan. It was more of a desperate hope that there was a light at the end of the tunnel instead of more darkness.

"Technician," I started, tapping on my scouter to connect to the tech-savvy alien. "I'm coming your way. Pull up everything we got from the Reach servers and a map of the planet." I ordered, flying up to see an amused expression on Matillo's face. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he simply nodded at me. Despite how unlikely it was, it was like this was exactly what he wanted. I returned it before blasting off, not bothering to wait for the door this time and punched right through it.

Matillo gave me a piece of the puzzle. Bardock gave me another. I just needed a few more pieces then I would have a plan. Possibly a fourth option.

My bad habits were biting us all in the butt. I was being too passive. I wasn't trying to act, but still stuck reacting. I was waiting for another option to drop into my lap instead of creating it for myself.

"Uhh, sure thing!" Technician said, likely figuring out I was talking to it. I flew through the halls, making my way to it, while my mind raced at breakneck speeds. In no time flat, I arrived, tearing through a door to catch Technician in the middle of bringing up what we had in the Reach. It looked over at me with wide eyes and a slacked jaw before it hurried to bring up what we had.

"Show me our options for food processing," I ordered, flying over to the hologram. "And tell me what they do - no details on how they work, I won't understand it," I ordered, watching the hologram shift to reveal some kind of cube.

"Of course, but, uh, there are a lot of options here. We'll be here all day if I described them all. Is there anything, in particular, you're looking for?" It asked cautiously, wary that it would get a ki blast if I didn't like its answer. Which, given who my mother is, was fair.

I thought about it for a split second, "something that can turn raw ingredients into food." I decided with a firm nod. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Technician blanch but obeyed. With a few keystrokes, my options were vastly reduced. Hopefully one of them would work. One of them had to work or this desperate hope was dead in the water. "That one, what does it do?"

"It, ah, extracts nutrients from dirt and plant fibers-" that one was useless since there was no dirt or plants on this planet.

"No, the next one. What does it do?" I interrupted the hologram displaying a large machine.

"It breaks down biological matter into a paste," it answered with quiet disgust. Not sure why, but it was perfect.

"That one. Start building them- wait, unless there was a reason not to?" I stopped myself before I could make a mistake that would cost us valuable time.

"No, it seems to function but it was labeled a failure because the paste it creates is considered so disgusting that it has a negative effect on morale," it answered. Considering that morale couldn't get much worse, that wasn't an issue. I'll shove the stuff down people's throats if I had to.

"Then start building them. Now, show me where biological matter could be found on the planet?" I said, turning my attention to the hologram of the planet. Unlike what I thought, the levels didn't go all the way down to the center of the planet. The levels simply replaced the planet's levels to the outer core while the other layers were left undisturbed except for four tunnels that lead to the planet's core.

"Uhh...sure...they would be here, and here - they're used to create hard plastics…" two locations were marked on the middle floors of the planet's crust. Far away from each other, nearly on opposite ends of the planet, but that was fine. Then it clicked in Technician's eyes what I was trying to do. "But they can be broken down for nutritional value as well. But, we would need a transportation method...the Capsules! I was studying them earlier - a fascinating piece of technology that-" it seemed to realize what it was doing and closed its mouth.

"Make those Capsule things too," I ordered, the hope slowly becoming a plan. The Reach would expect us to attack the few places that food was created on the planet. What they wouldn't expect us to do was attack what was essentially a compost heap.

We hit them where they weren't expecting us. We misdirected them. We lead them by the nose in the direction we wanted then we ran in the opposite direction.

A small team to hit the compost while others ran interference.

"Now...show me weapons," I ordered, the plan still coming together. This needed to be more than a stopgap measure to dragging out our food stores. This needed to set the foundation for our escape. Another huge list appeared so I went ahead and narrowed it. "Bombs. Big bombs. Something that could take out a planet."

"But Lord Frieza forbade-"

"I'm not going to use it to blow ourselves up," I reassured to Technicians small relief. "But right now, time is on their side. They know they can simply starve us out while they're shoring up their defenses and I don't know if we can escape through their defensive posture. But, if we make them think that we're going to take out the planet, then all of a sudden time isn't on their side anymore. They'll have to prep an attack."

This planet was simply too valuable to let us blow ourselves up with it. If they're willing to commit the resources to defend this place, it could pump out mountains of equipment for years.

"But isn't that a bad thing?" Technician asked, and he was right.

"It means we won't have until we starve to death to prep our exit," I confirmed, "but if we make them change their defensive posture to an offensive one, we can escape. They'll have to spread out their forces instead of clumping them up around the exit…" to that end, it might be a good idea to make a show of trying to clear out the tunnels that we collapsed. To make them think we were going through one of those exits…

Except why limit ourselves to a premade exit?

"And pull up...mining lasers or something. Something powerful enough we could carve a new tunnel out of here rather than rely on one they're expecting us to leave through." Never be where they thought we would be. We separate their defenses, then make an exit where they're not covering.

They would be able to react, but that was fine. One exit was on the other side of the planet, while the others were thousands of miles away. It wouldn't buy us much time, but in an operation like this, seconds would count.

Divide and conquer. The oldest trick in the book.

"And we'll have a force to harass them," I muttered to myself, plotting it all out. We wouldn't be fighting a concentration of the enemy forces, which immeasurably helped us. It could be the difference between fighting a couple of dozen scarabs from a couple of hundred. Even with the few saiyans that learned to control their oozaru form, and so long as even one member of my team managed to control themselves in the Wrath State, that should be enough for the ship to get into orbit where we could then jump away.

"For bombs...we have this," Technician said, showing me a thing that I'm guessing was a bomb. "However, it takes very rare minerals to use. We have most of them down here, but unoadium, if there's any on this planet, then it would be here," it said, highlighting another level that was closer to the bottom level. I nodded - while a team was securing compost, another would be checking that location.

I would likely take that one since it was so close where the Reach was expecting us to attack. That's where the fighting would be at its worst.

"And lasers...we have a few options, but the most promising is this one," It continued, bringing up a thing that I'm guessing was a laser. "It's very energy-intensive, but it's powerful enough that it should be able to tear through the crust in a few minutes, though it may take some time to get through the metal shielding," Technician said, causing me to frown. A few minutes? That was far too long. That gave the Reach too long to react.

But how could we make the laser go through the levels faster…?

"Those black hole missiles," I said, picturing how they just deleted everything that they touched. "Can we make those black hole missiles?" I asked, getting a hesitant nod from Technician while he highlighted three separate locations. That was...not ideal but it was fine. I would be by myself, the others would break up in pairs...if worse came to worse, we could use another pair of saiyans to secure the simple objective.

"We'll use the missiles to cut down on the amount that the laser will have to blast through. Those missiles don't seem to care about durability," I noted, thinking that should help things along and judging by the enthusiastic nodding of Technician, it seemed to think so as well. Even better, we had the materials down here to make them.

I smiled for the first time in what felt like years.

"We have a plan."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	25. Smell of the Storm part 1

"You don't have to tell them, you know," Tora commented as we made our way to a makeshift auditorium where the troops had gathered. His words threw off my thoughts of rehearsing a speech in my head, mentally preparing myself for what came next. I glanced at him, prompting the tall saiyan to explain."They're just foot soldiers," he elaborated as if that was an explanation.

I suppose, to him, it was.

I looked away, the large double doors growing closer with every step. I wish we had enough water to spare for a bath, or an extra set of clothes because all of us were looking rough. The others more so than me, but it would hardly inspire the confidence that I was hoping to create.

"Maybe," I returned, thinking that they were probably used to it after four years of war. I couldn't imagine that Queen Teach ever bothered to explain the objective beyond 'go do this or that' followed by threats of violence or death for failure. "But 'because I said so' isn't a good enough of a reason for me. They should know."

Tora didn't look like he agreed, but after exchanging a glance with Parslee, who walked next to him, the second in command of the Planetary Elite Squad shrugged in acceptance. I was glad for it. Not just because I didn't have to worry about him undercutting me anymore, but mostly because I could return to rehearsing a speech in my head.

My first one was rough. Very rough. Actually, if it wasn't on saiyans, it would probably have been a failure. This one would have to be better. Now...where...was I?

Ah. Right. I was stuck on how to make a suicide run sound appealing.

The doors slid open as we neared, revealing a stage that I'm guessing was used for demonstrations. Now, it was used so people could actually see me as they stood in a large room that I hoped my voice would carry in. I stood at the center of the stage, my team behind me with the black and white alien already there alongside Technician. I turned to face just under five thousand soldiers and I realized that it was pointless to rehearse my speech.

Because, as I looked out at the sea of faces, every single word that I prepared for this fled my brain. The sea of faces was diverse, pockets of similarly faced aliens, but for the vast majority of them, they couldn't be more different. And there were so many of them. And I had to talk to all of them. I had a lot of weaknesses, and I'm pretty sure talking was my greatest one.

I took in a slow breath as the room fell so silent that I could have heard a pin drop. I guess...I should tell them how it is.

"As you all know, we've been working on a plan to get out of here," I started, distantly recalling something about public speaking from what had to be from before I was a saiyan. The three Ts - Tell them, tell them what you're telling them, then tell them what you told them. "The ship is complete, the wink drive that will get us out of Reach controlled space is nearing completion. However, as I'm sure you've all noticed, food and water has become a problem. Well, we're out of food and there's no more water, either."

Thousands of people muttering to each other was surprisingly loud, I realized as whispers broke out. I crushed whatever nervousness I felt into nothing, and forced myself to continue.

"I'm here to tell you about the plan that we have to do something about it," I said, continuing when I heard someone exclaim 'the saiyans are going to eat us all.' "My team will be performing targeted strikes on several priority targets that will give us the materials that we need to provide food for us, both for here and for when all of us escape this planet." At that, the whispers quieted some, allowing me to speak.

"However, there is another issue with our plan. While we are hitting these locations, we need several teams to perform another task," I said and Technician took that as his cue to bring up a hologram of the planet, blowing it out so it was large enough for all to see. Now came the hard part. "While we are running interference, we need a bare minimum of twenty-five teams to infiltrate these levels and deliver a package." In response to my words, twenty-five plips appeared on the hologram, marking every other ten levels.

Technician crunched the numbers, and that was the bare minimum that it would take to weaken the levels enough that the laser could burn through them within a reasonable timeframe. Even then, it would take up to thirty seconds for it to make it from core to crust. It didn't sound like a long time, but that thirty seconds might as well be thirty years.

"The payload is non-matter bombs. You've seen them in action recently - they're the ones that form black holes that erase everything they touch." That got some grumbling. I had managed to avoid losing anyone on my team to them, but it seemed I was a rare case. "The idea is to set them up on these levels, and when it's time to get out of here, we detonate them to blow a new exit that they're not expecting us to leave from."

I took in a deep breath, my gaze sweeping over the alien and saiyan faces, wishing I could make eye contact with them all, but I couldn't. "I'm going to be honest with you - my team will be running interference, causing distractions, and giving them a bigger target to shoot at, but...those that choose to go on this mission-" I almost trailed off, but I didn't let myself. "-odds are you won't be coming back."

There was dead silence, and it was somehow worse than them whispering amongst themselves. "This is a suicide mission for the teams that choose to undertake this mission," I clarified bluntly, feeling something heavy settle on my shoulders. It was as heavy as the hundreds of soldiers that I ferried down here, and so much harder to carry.

Tora, Matillo...they were right. I couldn't save every single member of the 501st. It was stupid and arrogant of me to try. The only thing I could do now was making sure that they knew what they were dying for.

"However, with these teams sacrifice, the rest of us will be able to leave this planet and return to Frieza-force space," I said, my gaze sweeping over them again. "I'm not going to order you to do it. We're taking volunteers only," I told them. That was plan A. I could only hope that it wouldn't come to plan B...where we either made do with the few that did volunteer or, in a more likely place, others were volunteered against their will.

"If you want to volunteer, then stand up now," I spoke with a heavy sense of finality, my gaze sweeping over the aliens, landing on one with three sets of eyes that seemed to wrap around its head.

The it-...he...stood. Others stood, at first they were sprinkled about, but the bare minimum was rapidly being reached...then it was surpassed as those few that stood spurned others to stand. With every second, dozens rose to their feet, then hundreds. Some, I imagined were because of peer pressure, and I saw faces filled with fear and doubt even as they volunteered.

But, in the end, every single member of the 501st stood.

* * *

In the end, too many volunteers caused its own problems. We decided on fifty teams of five was the magic number - a small enough force that it wouldn't merit a response from the Reach while they were dealing with pressing matters. At the same time, it offered enough margin for error that not every single team needed to succeed.

"You'll be sent up one minute after we begin our operation - and stealth is the key to your survival. We're going to draw as much of the heat as we can from you, but if you get caught, we won't be in a position to offer support," I told the soldiers as we began suiting up for the operation. "And if they discover the payloads, then the mission is a failure."

"We hear you, sir. They won't even know that we were there," the black and white alien said, giving me a nod. I still needed to get it- his name, but now it was too late to ask. The next time I get my scouter upgraded, I was going to pick up an identifier, or something so I didn't end up in this position again.

I nodded back to him, turning my attention to Technician, who was handing out pill like capsules. He approached me, a pep in his step. It seemed that having a way out was doing wonders for morale because that pep could be seen in a vast majority of the soldiers. He held out the capsules for me to take, and I spent a quick moment inspecting them.

About an inch long with a clicker on one end. It was hard to imagine that these things could store anything, much less the size of things that the blueprints claimed.

"These are the capsules that the Reach developed here. Marvelous bit of technology that utilizes quantum- ah," Technician started to ramble excitedly before he realized that I wasn't going to understand a word that he said. Maybe one day that would change, but that day wasn't today. "Ahem. It works by attaching this onto the object that you wish to shrink," he said, handing me a small metal puck that was barely the size of my finger.

"Then you click once and throw it towards the object after it has been tagged. The object will shrink before sealing itself inside the capsule. After that, it's safe to pick up. Unloading what's inside is done in a similar manner, but it takes two clicks," Technician explained. "One ton is the limit that this version can store, so you might have to shave off some weight."

"This," Technician continued before he handed me a pill. "Is for you. The unoadium is a highly radioactive material that your hard suit won't be able to protect you from. It can only be found here because of Skrew's intense radiation that's bombarded this planet for millennia. This will prevent your body from absorbing too much ambient radiation for about twenty-four hours. Apparently these pills are very common on this planet."

I nodded, accepting the pill before depositing it between my neck and the undersuit that clung to it. "Thanks," I said, nodding at the alien whose name that I also didn't know.

"My pleasure, prince Tarble. Though, while I have you, might I ask what you intend to do with the prisoner?" Technician asked, earning a slow blink from me. A prisoner? What prisoner-

Oh. Yeah. That Reach alien. I probably shouldn't admit that I had completely forgotten about it with the hectic training I've been giving my team. I hope someone remembered to feed it because I sure hadn't.

"Take it with us," I said, still thinking that it could be useful as a bargaining chip. I doubt it would be enough to buy our way off this planet, but it could be enough to stall the enemy. Even if it was only for a second. "I'm sure Lord Frieza will know what to do with it," I said, only realizing that I had called the Reach alien an it while I was making a conscious effort to call the aliens around me by he or she.

But...the aliens in the 501st had earned my respect. Just how Kaylark had earned my respect.

"I'll make sure that he has a compy cell then," Technician said before wandering off to explain capsules to others and double-checking everything. My gaze landed on my team - a few hours of relaxation wasn't enough to wipe away two days of pushing themselves to the limit, but it helped. All of them were dressed in hard suits of armor.

"Are you all set?" I asked, getting nods all around.

"As we can be. I take it that a secondary objective is to prob the Reach's defenses?" Matillo asked, getting a nod from me.

"It's the last priority after everything else, but yeah. If we can thin them out, all the better," I said, making Matillo nod in acceptance. Fasha let out a small sigh as she scratched at a scabbing over cut.

"Wish we could be going another round - I'm so close to getting a handle on the Wrath State I can practically taste it," she commented, her lips tugged into a slight frown. Now, I knew that she was just grumbling rather than trying to undercut me. "What are we going to do after we do this? We escaping right after, or what?"

I glanced over at Technician before shaking my head. "No, everything won't be done by then," I explained. "We still have to install the nutrient paste dispenser on the ship, make sure that it can support five thousand people for an extended amount of time. If we don't get enough raw resources, then we might have to stage another raid...but, if everything goes our way, we should be leaving in about a day after we get back."

Shugesh scratched at his armor, "the next planet we attack should be a rollover. We can finish learning then." He said, echoing my thoughts. Despite the plan, none of them managed to master the Wrath State. Just as precious few managed to master their oozaru form. The foundation was laid, but we didn't have the time to finish it here.

As if summoned by the thought, a saiyan forced her way through the crowd of people. The one with the scar on the side of her head. Lotuce, I think. She came to a stop in front of me and as soon as my gaze met hers, she dropped to a knee and...was still taller than me.

"My prince, let me join the assault. Please," Lotuce tacked on after a moment of thought as if she had forgotten that she was making a request rather than a demand. I considered it for a moment before I shook my head.

"You're one of the few that managed to control your oozaru form, you're too valuable to send on a mission like this," I informed. Lotuce was in limbo, in a way. She was too valuable to risk on a suicide mission, and at the same time, she was too weak to accompany a member of the team since she wouldn't be able to use her oozaru form.

"I-" Lotuce started to argue, her face twisting in frustration, but I knew what she was going to say next.

"There's going to be other challenges and opportunities to prove yourself," I cut her off. "Wait for them. You can't manage to do anything if you get yourself killed by biting off more than you can chew."

It was obvious that she didn't care for the answer based on how her face twisted into a scowl, but she nodded all the same. "I understand, my prince," she muttered unhappily. I guess I should give her something to do...nothing sucked more than feeling useless.

"For now, group up with the others and continue teaching the others how to master their oozaru form. We're relying on you to make sure none of them get too rowdy," I said, making Lotuce's gaze snap to mine as a grin tugged at the edge of her lips. She gave me a firm nod as she rose to her feet.

"Consider it done, my prince," she said with much more eagerness as she took my words as a dismissal. I watched her walk away, idly thinking that I was going to end up seeing her more often if we all lived through this. I only looked away when a yawn escaped me as I blinked a few times to clear any haze from my eyes.

If any of my team noticed my lack of sleep, then they didn't comment on it. Maybe I should mention to Technician that I needed a healing pod, or some kind of pod filled with a fluid, installed on the ship? No, that was wasteful. There were more important priorities than my inability to sleep in a bed like a normal person. Maybe, eventually, I would get so tired that I collapsed from exhaustion. So long as it happened after we were off this planet, I didn't care.

Making my way to the door that served as a main entrance to the base, I stepped inside of them before I turned to the forces that would be following us. Then I glanced up at the hole that we had made to get in here. After that, my gaze landed on my team. All of us were worse for wear, exhausted, but still alive.

"Don't die. Any of you," I ordered, my gaze sweeping over my team.

"Right back at you," Fasha returned with a chuckle in her voice.

With nothing else to say, it was time to begin the operation. "All teams prepare to go one minute after my mark. Five...four...three...two...one...mark!"

Once I said mark, I punched my way through the makeshift cover to the hole, blasting my way into the tunnel. And, almost instantly, I fell under heavy fire. Plasma blasts and laser shots from defensive lines that the Reach had set up. A few of them slammed into my armor, so dense that it was impossible for me to dodge all of them. All the while, I cupped two hands at my side and let my scouter pick up on the power levels.

It seemed that Technician had made another upgrade that I hadn't noticed because it picked up on floating objects that littered the tunnel going all the way up. Mines, I'm guessing. Smart of them, but it wasn't enough to keep us down here.

"Kamehameha!" I shouted, a bright blue blast of ki lit up the dark tunnel as it blasted through scarabs and mines alike. The defensive measures seemed to have worked against them because as soon as I detonated them, it set off a chain reaction that claimed more of their soldiers. The mines weren't the black hole ones, thankfully, but the explosions that rang out until my attack faded ate into the tunnel - forcing it to expand as parts of it-

"Fuck," I cursed as rubble began raining down towards me, chunks of extremely heavy rubble that would block off the entrance, leaving the others unable to follow. I walked right into a trap. Forced to waste precious seconds, I reduced the rubble that rained down upon us to ash before I could continue forward, my team following behind me. We were lucky that I was leading the way, because one of the others wouldn't have been able to destroy the rubble in time.

With the way cleared, I rapidly closed the distance between my target. In the heavy darkness, it was difficult to tell where things were, and I didn't want to risk illuminating my team as we approached. Even still, it only took a few short seconds for me to reach the level of the planet where the unoadium was. "I'm breaking off," I informed, reaching the level and blasting my way through a door.

Instantly, I was greeted by a black hole missile that I only saw on my scouter before I detonated it and let it claim a portion of the level, making my entrance bigger.

"Watch your corners," I warned, firing a ki blast down the hallway to clear the way.

"Watch your back," Shugesh shot back as they continued upwards where they would break off into smaller teams. With that serving as a goodbye, I took off down the hallway, going down the path that I memorized from the blueprints of the plant. A ki blast formed in my hands before I lobbed it at a metal door, punching right through it as I took in a deep breath.

The hallways themselves were generic metal walls that were occasionally dotted with a metal door. When there was a window, it displayed a vast open area that was filled with what I could only describe as some kind of forge. There were countless pads with a hologram floating above them - from robotic soldiers to tanks, to tools to weapons, anything that the Reach could need. That hologram was surrounded by some kind of welders and other tools, and when they pressed against the hologram sparks flew. Materials were fed into the tools as they started from the center out, dozens of them working in perfect coordination and by the time they were done, the finished project matched the hologram perfectly.

Each room...there were thousands of those platforms. And so far, I've seen over a dozen of them.

The output of this place was absolutely insane.

My scouter beeped as it picked up on high power levels rushing towards me, prompting me to let out that breath slowly. I did a general scan on the area to pick up on other power levels, just to get an idea of what kind of resistance I was going to be up against. The counter kept going up, picking up on more and more and more power levels…

Thirteen vanguards, fifty scout class, and hundreds of soldiers.

"That's too much," I muttered to myself as I blasted through another door, racing towards the unoadium, blowing past the protein farms on a lower level. The level that the Reach was expecting us to attack. I knew that I was going to be up where their defenses were at their thickest, and it wasn't that I was worried that I couldn't win that fight, but the number of scarabs was too high.

Were they stacking them there? No, it couldn't be that. Why take the risk of front-loading your defenses on the bet that we would go for the food over trying to escape all together when we got hungry enough?

"I guess it means the others will have an easier time," I said, forming a ki blast to bust through another metal door, only for it to glow cherry red a split second before a torrent of plasma tore through it. Reacting instantly, a Riot Javelin formed in my hands before I launched it at the torrent of plasma. It splashed over my attack, spraying over the hall and walls, but there was no contest in strength.

The plasma attack was pushed back to the source before it detonated, a loud explosion ringing out as plasma fire erupted from the room just ahead of me. Fire washed over me, but I still continued forward through the heat and smoke, glad for the mask that covered my face. If the map was right, then I should be in an intersection. As I picked the direction I was supposed to go, I twisted in midair to fire ki blasts down the opposing hallway.

My attacks struck dead on thanks to my scouter. Others fired back at me, another large torrent of plasma rushing towards me, the bright beam of intense heat illuminating the dark smoke for a moment. I dispatched it in the same manner I had the first, another explosion filling the halls as the heat washed over me.

Already, I could feel myself sweating from it. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I had ever fought scarabs in such close quarters, so down here the heat didn't have anywhere to disperse to. That was annoying.

Twisting back around, I blasted forward, tearing through a few doors that got in my way, and where the hallways didn't lead me to a straight shot to my destination, then I made a new hallway. The scarabs were forced to react to me, playing catchup when I left their fortified positions behind, their confusion costing them valuable seconds.

Once I was near my destination, I pulled up my mask and popped the pill into my mouth before swallowing it. Replacing my mask, I saw a door at the far end of a hallway, danger signs plastered all over it. Sucking in a deep breath, I crashed into the door, tearing through it like it wasn't even there, and finding myself in a large room.

This was where they fed those grinders materials, I realized, looking around for a split second. There were countless crates filled with what looked like ingots of exotic minerals, each labeled with two letters that identified them. There were plenty that I didn't recognize, and I had no idea what they were, or if they were dangerous or not. Then my gaze landed on a box labeled with an Uo, marking it as Unoadium.

Taking out the capsule, I followed Technician's instructions. The crate of unoadium shrunk until it was nothing more than a spec before the capsule flew towards it and sealed it inside. It only took a moment, and where once was a giant crate now was the capsule. That was...really weird to watch. I'm not sure if I liked seeing something shrink like that. But, it was undeniably useful, I thought as I tucked the capsule away, idly noting that it didn't seem to weigh any extra.

"That was easy," I said, turning towards the door as ki flowed to my hands. Now it was time for the hard part. I darted out of the room and saw that the scarabs that I had left in my dust had caught up. Six of the vanguards rushed towards me, the others acting as support while my scouter picked up the scout classes hanging in the distance.

There wasn't enough room to fight in here, I decided as I fired a ki blast to the side of me, blowing a hole so I could enter one of their open forges. Now there wasn't a wall and thick glass, the screeching sound of thousands of welders grated on my ears, but I ignored it in favor of cupping my hands to my side. The vanguards followed me out, making their own entrances, but they didn't need to.

"Kamehameha!" I shouted, my attack slamming into where they were, tearing through the hallway and carving a line through the levels. A vanguard disappeared according to my scouter, so I got one but there were still plenty of others. A plasma blast fired out at me, forcing me to dodge it before I rushed back down, using the smoke as a cover to dive back into the hallway.

Now their numbers worked against them. Ki coated my hands a split second before I punched my fist through one of their chests, destroying the scarab that clung to its back. As soon as it died, the scarab falling off the corpse, I already moved on to two others. A thin beam cut through the air, nearly cutting through my head, but I jerked out of the way in time to dodge it. The hallway was filled with the sound of violence as I hacked the scarabs apart.

The Reach realized that they were losing the fight despite their greater numbers because the vanguard scarabs in the back launched a black hole missile. It raced towards me as I bisected a scarab. My hands were out of position to take the missile out...unless…?

Trying something out, I continued to slash downwards, imagining a sliver of ki escaping from the tip of my ki blades. Like I imagined, that sliver became an attack that raced towards the missile in an crescent arc before it was consumed by a black hole. Smiling to myself, I wound up my arm, flooding the ki blades that coated my hands, and performed the same action.

This time, the arc raced towards the scarabs that took up a defensive position and cut right through them. It carved a line through everything that it touched - the metal walls, the scarabs, the soldiers and doors until the attack ran out of energy before fading into nothing. The halves of the scarabs fell over dead. Just like that, their defenses fell apart.

I think I finally found a way to compensate for my height...or, rather, my lack of height.

With that taking care of, I pressed down on my scouter, "I've got the materials for the bomb," I announced loudly. I had no idea if the Reach would be able to pick up on our transmissions, but I said it loud enough that I should have been picked up on a security camera, or something.

"Tarble-" I heard Shugesh shout back at me before an explosion cut him off, but based on the volume, he was transformed into his oozaru form. "We need some support back at the tunnel!"

Worried, I pushed myself to go even faster, not bothering to take turns or anything. I simply gathered ki into my palms, fired it out, and made a straight shot back to the tunnel. No sooner than I had, a scout class scarab appeared in the tunnel, its arms glowing to fire off a shot, only to have its head reduced to a fine mist when I closed the distance.

Entering the tunnel once again, I saw something that made my heart sink. Scarabs. So many scarabs - they darted around, firing upon my team. They seemed to be in one piece, but my gaze landed on a vanguard scarab that fired a missile that would change that. My body moved before my mind did, destroying the missile before the vanguard suffered the same fate.

This was too many scarabs, I thought as I dispatched another, taking the pressure off of my team. Thankfully, the scarabs viewed me as the greater threat because they focused on me. They came to me in droves and they died in droves. Still, even as I killed them, my brain was hung up on that one fact.

There were too many scarabs down here. I understood defending the food because that's the obvious place, but I wiped out the bulk of that already. Yet there were still dozens of scarabs darting about, trying to kill me, only to be killed instead. The thought nagged at the back of my mind, but I still had other priorities.

"The others?" I asked as I ripped a scarab in half before using my new cutting technique to bisect another with a wild haymaker that took out another scarab with the same motion.

"A team has made it back, but the others are still en-route. Others have been detonated prematurely," Matillo answered. My heart seized in my chest, but I forced it to beat. I knew that I was going to send men to their deaths with this. And just because one team made it back didn't mean that others weren't. This was a fast operation - it hadn't been more than ten minutes at the most. There was still plenty of time for them to get there and come back.

"And did we get everything?" I asked, taking out another scarab with a kick. The numbers were already thinning out considerably and the few that remained were falling back.

"We got it all. And no one's dead, so the mission went about as good as it could have, even if it got a bit messy at the end," Tora answered, making me nod. That was...shockingly simple and fast, but that was kind of the point for this operation. A snatch and grab.

But...There was something about this that I didn't like. The number of scarabs was concerning. It just didn't make sense to keep that many of them down here.

"Shugesh, you take this down," I ordered before looking up. These numbers weren't adding up, the defenses were too heavy. Why were they so heavily guarding nearly random locations? Why were the response teams so large? This didn't make any sense - I was expecting a reaction, but this was too...heavy-handed. Could this mean that the defenses up top were thinner than I anticipated? Or was there a spy amongst us?

"Where are you going?" Shugesh asked, frowning at me.

"I'm going to go prob their defenses," I answered, turning to the rest of my team. "The rest of you go sure up the defenses. I don't like how many there are down here, and I think they might be planning an assault on the base." That was about the only thing that could explain the sheer number of scarabs that were floating around down here.

Shugesh's face twisted, but he nodded all the same. "Right, yeah, we'll do that. But you running off and hogging all the good fights for yourself is gonna stop when the rest of us master the Wrath State," he warned without any ire in his voice.

I cracked a grin that he couldn't see, letting out a small huff of laughter at that. "Good luck with that," I teased, floating upwards, giving him a nod.

Fasha let out a huff, "don't die up there Tarble." She said with resigned frustration in her voice. None of them pressed the issue of following me up to the surface because they knew what my answer would be. And because, as much as it galled at them to admit, they weren't ready for that kind of resistance. They would, in time, but not today.

"I won't," I returned before flying upwards, blasting through the sound barrier while the rest of my team fell back. My scouter picked up on scarabs moving in to intercept me, but they barely so much as slowed me down as I raced towards the surface. All the while, my mind raced as fast as I moved, trying to puzzle out what was going on here.

The spec of light in the distance grew closer, revealing a dozen vanguard scarabs poised over the entrance of the tunnel, poised to fire down it. Once I came near enough, they unleashed full blasts of plasma, all of them meshing together until it became one giant attack that radiated so much heat that the sides of the tunnel began to melt from the ambient heat. My eyes narrowed into slits as I clasped my hands together at my side. That wasn't an attack that I could afford to dodge since it would hit the base below.

"Spiral...Buster!" I shouted, firing the technique I had created to meet the attack. Unlike before, it was hardly a no contest of power, but that didn't matter. My attack punched through the mass of plasma falling my way, sending it spiraling outward. It worked just like a Riot Javelin, only it was sustained.

The heat, as I continued upwards, was unbearable. My hard suit glowed in several places, some parts melting together, while the undersuit smoked. Something exploded behind me, hitting me with enough force it was like I was kicked in the back, and it took me a moment to figure out that it was probably my oxygen tank.

Then, without any warning, the attack stopped and I was out of the tunnel. Falling down were corpses of...what...defended the...entrance…

My mind slowly ground to a halt as I took in my new surroundings. I was outside, but things had changed greatly in the past two days.

I completely underestimated the Reach defenses, I realized with dawning horror as I took in their defenses. The ships that seemed to fill the sky, the hundreds of scarab, the fortified positions, the tens of thousands of soldiers that surrounded what was left of the space elevator. However, my gaze landed on one scarab in particular simply because it was one that I had only seen once before at a distance.

A special-class scarab, or as the Reach started calling them, the Champion class. I had thought I wanted to fight another in an open area, and, despite my body practically tingling with anticipation, I couldn't help but regret that though. Especially when the champion scarab was being supported by vanguard scarabs. My scouter told me a number I didn't care for. There were two hundred vanguard scarabs, at least. Three times that number in scout class scarabs.

Countless barrels of plasma cannons and guns trained on me since I was the only target. A force that I couldn't hope to beat. With this...the plan was a failure. There were just far too many scarabs for us to hope to escape with the plan that we had now. They wouldn't be disbursed enough.

"Surrender and you will be treated accordingly to Reach prisoner of war regulations. Resistance is futile," the special class scarab spoke. Oddly enough, I detected a hint of emotion in its voice, telling me that it was a recent host...and the voice...sounded familiar... Thousands upon thousands of weapons were pointed at me. I wouldn't be able to dodge all of them, and worse, I was completely and utterly surrounded. As much as I hated it, its words rang with an echo of truth.

"Resistance is futile, huh?" I repeated, my hands curling into fists. Despite myself, my lips tugged upwards in a mockery of a grin. My heartbeat started to pick up, my blood surging in my veins, any trace of exhaustion and hunger were forgotten as a sense of calmness filled me. Because all of it came down to one very simple solution.

If there were too many scarabs, then I needed to cut their numbers down to a manageable size.

"When has that ever stopped me?"

In response to my words, the ring around my neck rose.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	26. Smell of the Storm part 2

Time stretched to impossible lengths, my refusal seeming to echo through the air over the hump of hundreds of plasma weapons. I should have spent that second thinking of a plan of attack, or how I was going to deal with this mess. I should have used it to figure out how to leverage what I did have or think of a way to buy myself more time so I could use it to think of a plan. Instead, that long second that felt like it stretched on for hours was filled with absolute silence as I simply waited for that moment to pass.

Then the moment of silence was broken. Countless beams of plasma raced towards me from every angle, cutting off any hope of dodging. There were simply too many coming from too many directions.

So, I didn't dodge them all.

I blurred forward, angling myself out of the way of powerful plasma blasts from the Champion scarab. My body moved on instinct, ki flooding towards my hands as I cupped them by my side, ignoring the intense heat that washed over me as I dodge the most dangerous attack by a fraction of an inch. A ball of ki formed in-between my hands, condensing and shaping how I wanted it to. A disk emerged, spinning so rapidly that the edges became jagged, giving the appearance of teeth.

It wasn't a plan. It was more like two guesses that I hoped were right. The first was that the scarabs had too much inherent value to simply throw away. When they were in the positions that they were - friendly fire was almost a given unless the formation they were in accounted for it. The scarabs would have to fight in targeted locations to avoid using themselves out when they all fired as one, and there had to be enough room in the formation to account for any misfires, allowing a scarab to dodge. A small gap in the net.

The second was the idea that if a Destructo Disk could be shaped and thickened to serve as a platform...then surely it could be shaped like a shield?

I was about to find out.

Time resumed, snapping from slow motion to regular speed in a split second as a torrent of plasma slammed into my ki shield, knocking me away from the plasma attacks as I used the momentum to slip underneath the powerful blast of white-hot plasma and made a third hope that it was strong enough to serve as a shield. Curling my body up, I used twin Destructo Disks to cover my flanks as countless streams of plasma slammed into them hard enough that it felt like I would be crushed before my techniques failed. Which left the only avenue of attack was from below, and it was the tunnel.

Now I had to slip through the net. The obvious way was down, back towards the base. So, naturally, I flung myself backward the Champion scarab - the one place they wouldn't expect me to attack. My shields held as I darted towards the scarab, adjusting my path as it angled downward to hit me. I twisted as I neared, angling one shield so it deflected plasma downwards, the edge of the attack rapidly approaching the scarabs chest and-

It moved out of the way and, just like that, I was free of the net. The entire exchange lasted just over one second.

Continuing forward, I threw my Destructo Disks, the attacks swerving around the special-class scarab as it gave chase, but I wasn't aiming at it. The disks expanded, taking out small two rings of the encirclement - not all died. Some were merely bisected at the waist since the formation was collapsing to give chase. It wasn't what I wanted, but every scarab counted.

Maybe, if the entire team could control themselves in the Wrath State this wouldn't be an issue. Maybe if all of the other saiyans could control their oozaru form...but they couldn't. Right now, it fell to me to thin out the scarabs enough that we wouldn't be overwhelmed when we tried to leave.

The Champion rushed me, extra thrusters forming on its back to give it the speed that it needed as twin cannons formed on its shoulders. I knew something was different about them the moment I saw them charge up - Sparks of white condensed into a ball before my vision was filled with white as the attack was deceptively large.

Forced to throw myself to the side, I fell into the trap it had set with the other scarabs that fell in line. Missiles screaked towards me along with dozens of blasts of plasma. I lobbed a ki blast at a missile, but these reacted with the kind of precision that I had never seen from a scarab before. Where the black hole formed, the other missiles flared out as if each one was being controlled remotely, before they zeroed in back on me.

I responded by falling back. The dense metal of the buildings that made up the shield of the planet offered up some resistance as I pushed my way through them, just not enough to slow me down. A missile slammed into the building not long after me, but the black hole was too small for the others to have been eaten up in the black hole. Trusting my gut, I followed through the building, punching through the other side. Glancing back, I saw that the black hole ate that side of the building as well, opening a way for the others to follow through.

They were hardly my only worry. The moment I punched through the building, the Champion rounded on me. A blood-red lightsaber made up one of its hands that raced towards my throat. I deflected it with a ki blade that coated my hand, causing the shoulder-mounted cannons to flare to life once again. Reacting, I flipped myself upwards, deflecting an attack meant to bisect me as I did so and put the scarab between me and the missiles.

We fell deeper into the city that was left standing after me and the 501st carved our way through it. Scarabs went wide, taking potshots at me as I duked it out with the Champion scarab. Every sense was sharpened to a razor point, my blood surged through my veins, feeling so hot that it was like I was being cooked from the inside, while every fiber of my being sang with excitement despite the situation. Despite it all, the last time I fought a Champion scarab, I won but was left disappointed. This time, no matter what, I was going to earn the victory.

I took in a slow breath, my mask still covering my face even if the oxygen tank had exploded, as I flew into a building, the Champion hot on my heels. Our blades clashed in a shower of sparks in the middle of it, a missile crashing into the building not soon after. The scarab tried to back off, but I knew they wouldn't risk their heaviest hitter to friendly fire, so I chased after it, all too aware of the missiles following me.

The cannon on its shoulder shifted, interlays laying on top of each other. I tensed, ready for- my eyes went wide as a wall of noise hit me with concussive force. I wasn't prepared for that in the slightest, but I still reacted fast enough to prevent myself from being deleted from the universe. I shifted my momentum upwards, punching through the floor, a fraction of an inch away from losing a toe when a missile tried to do the same.

My breathing was even as my mind raced. No matter how it looked, I was winning this fight simply because I had more win conditions. My goal was to make sure that the ship would be able to take off when the time came. I could do that by giving them something else to focus on or to thin their numbers enough that they couldn't overwhelm us. Fighting them like this also prevented a counter-attack that I'm not sure we would be able to survive with these kinds of numbers falling on us.

Their win condition was to kill me. So long as I was alive, I was winning.

I let out a breath slowly, weaving through a mess of plasma fire that set off another missile. I channeled ki to the blades before launched as the crescent of ki at a vanguard. It managed to get out of the way in time, but it put it out of position to suffer a blast of friendly fire from another scarab behind it. It didn't do anything to the scarab, besides distracting it long enough for me to kill it before moving on.

"I can do this," I told myself, keeping my breathing even as I dove back into a building, punching through it at an angle to throw myself at a vanguard. It was odd, but I'm not sure if I've been in a more dire situation like this, yet my mind tried to wander. I forgot to pee before I put the hard suit on, or that I haven't eaten anything in a while. Stray thoughts that tugged at my razor-sharp focus. Was this because I haven't slept in about three days?

Now that I thought that I haven't eaten in about a day, my stomach growled so fiercely that a vanguard flinched bad enough that it opened itself up to an attack that took its life. I used its corpse as a springboard, kicking off of it before flipping in midair to black an attack from the special-class scarab. It seemed to have a preference for close quarter combat, I noticed.

"Tarble?" Fasha's voice rang out in my ear so suddenly that I nearly missed a thrust that was aimed for my heart. Even still, I kept my breathing even as I fought against the scarab, flipping out of the way of a plasma blast. The special-class scarab didn't bother as it pushed through it to follow me.

"Kinda busy," I answered shortly, my brain trying to get me killed by wondering if there was a problem on their end. If there was, then I wasn't sure what I could do. Maybe try a cheap shot like I did the last time? That could work, but I would only get the one shot. I would have to save it until I was certain that it would work.

"The packages are secure, but I'm not sure how long they will be. We just lost two signals - they're searching for them now," Fasha explained as I leaned out of the way of a swipe to return the blow, sending an arc of ki out as I slashed at the special-class scarab. I carved a deep groove into its armor, but it wasn't enough and the mark faded almost as fast as it appeared.

Any other time, I might have despaired at that news. The mining laser wasn't finished - it likely hadn't even begun. If those packages were found, then hundreds of our troops died for nothing. If they removed them, then we wouldn't be able to make our own exit. But...perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the hyper-focus adrenaline surging through my veins, but I simply rolled with it instead of dwelling.

Right now, it all came down to timing. Every millisecond was precious. And there was only one of me.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye - a vanguard heading away from me- they were going back to the entrance. Could the Reach track that I was talking to someone? Could they hear what I was saying right now? There was only one way to find out, wasn't there? I blasted off after the vanguard scarabs that were making their way to Fasha, ki flooding to my hands as I prepped a Hellzone Grenade.

"Blow them now and build the bomb that'll reduce this planet to ash," I ordered. Time was everything now. It was a race against the clock - for us, it was to escape. For them, it was to crush us before we could destroy the planet. Everyone was rushing to their own goal and I could only hope that the Reach tripped before we did. "I don't care if we all die with it," I snarled savagely into my scouter.

There was a beat of silence. "Yeah! If we can't have the planet then no one can! Ha, I like it!" Fasha announced and I really, really, really hoped she got the message there and didn't blow us all to hell. As she spoke, I fired my attack, balls of ki ripping through buildings before I detonated them, the world becoming a giant explosion. Building toppled, falling to the ground and crashing hard enough that others collapsed on themselves.

The attack warded off any stray missiles, obscuring me for a short second. A hand went to my scouter to type out a message. It was short, crude and the definition of shorthand, but it got the job done. Before the Champion scarab could attack me in the explosion, I blasted forward towards the entrance. A vanguard got in my way and paid for that with its life, but beyond that I was in the clear. My scouter picked up Fasha at the edge of the tunnel in her base form. I was glad for it.

"Tarble-" Fasha stated, only to be cut off.

"Make sure it gets done," I ordered, tearing the scouter off the side of my head before I launched it at Fasha. I didn't have time to look to make sure that she caught it before the special-class scarab fell upon me.

I couldn't be in multiple places, and Matillo was right. I couldn't do everything on my own.

That's why I had a team.

* * *

"2 m Scb. Atk sn. I dly. 1." Fasha read out the message Tarble left on his scouter. "B fst," she muttered as she continued down the pitch-black tunnel. It only took her a moment to figure out what it said - too many scarabs. Attack soon. I'll delay. Alone. Either build fast or be fast, but she guessed there wasn't much of a difference. "Damnit Tarble," Fasha cursed, her hands clenching at her sides.

Feeling useless wasn't something she had a lot of experience with. Not since back when she was a kid that screwed up so badly that she got her team killed on their first mission and if it wasn't for Gine's soft heart, she wouldn't be a warrior at all. And now, she and the team were forced into the sidelines while they were forced to rely on a child that hadn't even gone through his first growth spurt yet. Simply because if she, if any of them got involved, then they'd only get in his way.

Even still, Fasha had half a mind to slip into the Wrath State, fly back up top and hope that a good battle would give her the kick that she needed to not lose her mind. Odds were that's why Tarble gave her a message to pass down to avoid her trying exactly that.

"Detonate the packages now! Tarble gave the order," Fasha announced as she neared the base.

"Packages detonated!" An alien announced it's tone nervous. Fasha guessed she had to believe it since she didn't feel any of the telltale signs of an explosion. Though, she guessed she wouldn't given the nature of the bombs. "Seventy-three percent of the packages were successfully delivered. The mission was successful."

Well, Fasha guessed they were owed some good news. "Tora, we have a problem. There are way too many scarabs up top and Tarble thinks they were preparing an attack. He's holding them off now."

"Does he need reinforcements?" Their vice-captain asked, his voice tinged with static. An image appeared in her mind of Tarble moving at speeds that he had, fighting against a swarm of scarabs in a battle that was leveling a city on accident. At first, even though she had seen the holovids, it was so hard to believe the boy she had known for pretty much his entire life had managed to kill a Green Lantern, even if it had been a fluke.

It only started to sink in that Tarble hadn't just surpassed them in strength with the Wrath State, he completely left them behind.

"No," Fasha said, wanting to say more. "I'll explain soon. The Reach is listening in on our coms," Fasha informed, getting a muttered curse out of Tora. It certainly explained some things. With a frown tugging at her lips, Fasha blew past whatever defenses that the Frieza-force soldiers put up. Matillo's stark white oozaru stood out in the darkness as he stood guard with Parslee's. Which suited her just fine.

It didn't take long to reach Tora. Luckily, Shugesh and Borgos were with him. Tora was sporting some scrapes and burns as he handed over some of those Capsule things filled with compost, which she learned from others was a fancy word for crap.

"What's up with Tarble?" Shugesh asked, an uncharacteristic frown on his face as he noticed her first. That brought Tora and Borgos' attention to her as she touched down a few feet away. It felt wrong to be standing here while Tarble was up top fighting, but, as much as Fasha hated it, it couldn't be avoided.

"The Reach was planning to attack and they have way more scarabs than we thought they would. Hundreds of them from what I saw." Tora looked alarmed, recoiling from the number. "Tarble said he'll give them something to focus on until we're ready to leave."

"Prince Tarble is stalling the Reach...by himself?" The useful alien that Tarble called Technician muttered in confusion more to itself than to them.

"Did he say anything else?" Tora asked, his voice grave as he clenched his hands at his sides. Fasha knew him well enough that he hated feeling useless just as much as she did. Because, in the end, that's what they were right now. They lacked the strength to do anything, forced to rely on Tarble and his strength.

"Not much else. He seemed convinced that the Reach were listening in on our communications since he told me to build the bomb and blow ourselves to hell." At least that's what she was hoping that happened. The first time they saw Tarble in the Wrath State, it was like he was willing to kill them for so much as breathing the wrong way. He mellowed out considerably, and somehow that was a thousand times more terrifying. "What do we do? She asked Tora, dreading his answer because she knew what it was.

"Tarble hasn't proven himself to be a liar, so if he says he's going to delay the Reach until we can leave this planet, then I'll believe him," Tora said with tired resignation. A few more days, a week maybe, and they wouldn't be in this situation. They could be up there fighting instead of being down here talking.

Tarble made the Wrath State look easy, but it was anything but.

"How long will it be until we're good to go?" Tora asked, unable to dwell on their weakness.

"I would like more time to do system checks, but we don't have time for them...six hours, at least to build the laser." It must have seen their expressions at that number because its shoulders slumped in defeat. "We are at the mercy of the nano forges. We can't go any faster." It said its voice firm. It had a spine, Fasha gave it that.

"So, what, we just sit here and twiddle our thumbs?" Shugesh spat unhappily, a hand going to the hole in his gut that was slowly becoming flesh.

"No," Tora said with a shake of his head, throwing on his thinking face. "The bomb, it'll take out a planet, right?" He asked the useful alien, a gleam in his eye that reminded Fasha of Bardock. She was glad for it - Tora was stuck in a rut the moment that Frieza promoted Tarble over him, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Most certainly! It will-"

"Good. Build it then," Tora ordered, ignoring the aliens sputtering. Shugesh rose an eyebrow at that, looking faintly amused.

"Are we blowing ourselves up?" He asked, making Tora crack a smirk as he silenced the useful alien with a wave of his hand.

"No. That planet with the radiation," he clarified, a hungry grin tugging at his lips. Realization dawned on Fasha as Shugesh began to laugh, "the mission can still be pulled off. As we make our escape, we hit Skrew with the bomb. How long would that make this planet useless to the Reach?" He asked the alien, making it fall silent as it gaped at her team.

It took a second to think about it before it nodded to itself. "Depending on the resources spent on cleaning up the radiation...in as little as three years with top of the line terraforming tech."

"Perfect," Tora stated, earning a nod from her. The mission was to put this place out of commission. Frieza wouldn't be happy about spending money to terraform the planet to get rid of the hard radiation, but three years wasn't that long of a time. Just long enough that the Reach would be forced to abandon it and their mission would be a success.

"Talk about pulling a victory from the jaws of defeat," Fasha muttered, slugging Tora in the shoulder. He flashed her a grin, only to have it fall a moment later. Hers fell as well, realizing all of this hinged on a single point of failure. She let out a small sigh, running a hand through her hair, "who'd have thought that Tarble was hiding that kind of spine from us?" She asked, her lips thinning into a rueful smile.

"Definitely not Bardock," Tora commented lightly, bringing up an issue for the far off future. They could deal with how they misjudged Tarble at a later date when they were sure they would be alive to have that discussion. "But, for now," he continued, bringing his attention back to the alien. "Get us some of those nonmatter bombs. If they're too many scarabs, then we need to spread them out even more. You lot are with me - we're going to go give them another exit to worry about."

"The 501st would like to put another option on the table," a new voice pitched in, its voice rough. Fasha glanced over to see it was the really weird black and white alien that seemed to be the leader of the 501st. It looked worse for wear - splotches of red stood out against its dark skin, a rough bandage over a stump of an arm but it carried the injuries well. Well enough that Fasha knew the identifiers of a regenerator when she saw one - only they could move with a missing limb so easily simply because they knew it would grow back.

Tora gave it his attention, "you're the one squad that came back, right? You sure you want to go back out there?" He asked, his voice challenging. The black and white alien nodded firmly.

"More than anything. You saiyans aren't the only ones that want to fight. I have a lot of dead friends that I have to repay the Reach for, the entire 501st does," the alien stated, and, surprisingly, Technician nodded as well. Fasha grinned at that - those were fighting words, and she loved fighting words. "And we owe prince Tarble for pulling our asses out of the fire. We don't let debts like that go unpaid."

"Heh," Shugesh chuckled, cracking a grin. "I like it."

Tora nodded, "let's hear your option then." The alien said it and Fasha's grin only grew. Others looked down on weak aliens, but she found that she rather liked those that decided that they were going to hit way out of their weight class. Even if they were stuck using weapons as their only solution - she knew first hand how useful the things were to understand their usefulness, even if they were her last option.

"Get it done then," Tora ordered, slipping back into command like a pair of old boots. The alien snapped off a salute with its one-hand before turning on its heel and marching off to complete its self-imposed mission, and to scrounge up another round of volunteers.

Which would take the pressure off Tarble, Fasha thought with a nod before she leveled a serious gaze on the alien. "You have six hours. Make sure we can get out of here by then." There wasn't a need to threaten the alien into submission. If anything, judging by its expression, it was just smart enough to not take a swing at her for implying that it wouldn't be ready.

"Six hours. Not a second more, or you can leave me on this rock," Technician stated.

"Good. Now, let's go make sure that brat doesn't get himself killed."

* * *

"These things sure are handy," Fasha commented as they found themselves in the pitch-black darkness of the tunnel again. They flew upwards, Matillo and Parslee in tow, each of them carrying a couple of capsules that contained enough of those bombs to clear out a few new entrances. "But Queen Teach is going to be pissed with him using all of this tech."

"Hm," Parslee grunted as they flew to their destination. Fasha thought the Saiyan was handsome and, more importantly, strong but if you surgically removed his personality, Fasha wasn't sure if she would notice. But, she guessed you didn't need to have a great personality to be good in bed. Would explain Queen Teach's new kid.

"I believe that has slipped prince Tarble's mind," Matillo returned with a chuckle. The old man, she was less sure about. He carried himself with this air around him that no matter what it was, he had seen it before a dozen times. That was only enhanced when she recalled overhearing from one of the low-class that the guy was apparently a thousand years old. Somehow. It also didn't help that he had a habit of staring right through people like he could see every thought in their head.

"Are we sure that he's still alive? Prince Tarble has proven himself, but to stall hundreds of scarabs on his own…" Parslee commented, bringing the mood right back down. It was honestly like the idiot didn't understand she was trying to take people's minds off the fact that Tarble was fighting for their lives against overwhelming odds alone.

Tora let out a small sigh, "we haven't seen a scarab yet," he pointed out. "So he's still alive. If anything, he might be doing too good of a job and we won't be able to pull any heat from him."

"It will be sometime before the shame of this will wash off," Matillo stated, summing up everyone's thoughts.

"Can't be helped, though," Shugesh returned. "We can't tough out the Wrath State like he can. Until we can, we're deadweight."

At that, they fell silent. Not that it mattered because they had reached their destination - a level that was a straight shot on the other side of the planet that they intended to leave from. Tora's hand glowed before he blasted through a bulkhead door, clearing the way for them to rush forward. The silence was a heavy one as they rushed through halls, blasting through new ones in the name of speed. None of them were slow, but it seemed to take them forever to reach their destination.

Yet, according to her scouter, it was only a meager hour. Worse, there hadn't been a single scarab to offer up any kind of defense. Tora might have meant it as a joke that Tarble was making himself too big of a target, but if they didn't see one soon, then Fasha had to assume that Tarble was taking on every single scarab on the planet.

It was too long. The defenses were too weak. It let her mind wander to things other than the task at hand. It shouldn't have been much of a shock that her mind drifted to Tarble given the situation, but her mind drifted to a few words that she had almost said after he took her back to her bunk. Words that she wanted to say but knew that she couldn't. Shouldn't.

"What a mess," she muttered underneath her breath. Tarble should be on board with the coup against the royal family. Bardock must have thought as much, else he would have killed Tarble when he had the chance. He was practically the poster boy for their rebellion - the class-system should be done away with because a power level didn't determine your capabilities.

If it did, then every member of her team would be dead a thousand times over. What's more, King Vegeta was proving himself to be a coward by hiding out on Planet Vegeta while Bardock continued to prove himself throughout the war, yet Bardock wasn't king. If the system made an ounce of sense then he would be. And where was the prize for working-class saiyans like Leek?

Leek went on the same missions as they did, he survived them despite every odd, and he did it with his skills as a pilot. Yet, King Vegeta and his ilk wouldn't recognize him as a warrior even if it killed them. His own son, Tarble, was evidence enough of that - not counting the Wrath State, the sheer number of techniques he created, his rapid advancement...yet, until recently, he was a low-class saiyan.

Though, Tarble was a weird kid. A really, really, really weird kid that was an absolute freak of nature that was probably going to go down in legend if he already wasn't. Their people called him the Low-Class Prince, and if there was anyone that should hate the class-system, it was Tarble. For the longest time, she assumed that he did. What else could motivate him to beat himself nearly to death on their fists whenever he wasn't sleeping? Only now she learned that his motivation was seeking acknowledgment from his family - King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta, and Queen Teach.

People that had to be killed when Bardock overthrew them. Worse, Tarble was being acknowledged. First Prince Vegeta throws an absolute fit over Tarble, and now Queen Teach was acting all weird towards him...if Tarble sided with the Royals when the time came...

Fasha shook her head, trying to get rid of the stray thoughts, wishing that a scarab would appear to-

Then, as if to answer her unspoken request, a power level appeared on her scouter. A vanguard scarab.

It's pitch black armor revealed itself as it tore through a level to cut them off, nearly coming down directly on top of them. Fasha jumped back, her face twisting into a scowl - it was like they could hear her thoughts or something.

Time seemed to slow as she saw the bright blue glow of its plasma blaster aimed directly at Tora, who started to form an energy attack in a desperate attempt to survive.

They couldn't win against a vanguard. Not in these confined hallways too small for them to be able to transform into their oozaru state. This exact situation was why Tarble created the Wrath State in the first place.

But none of them had managed to master it. The most any of them had managed was a few seconds of thought before they lost their minds...but...maybe a few seconds was all that they needed.

Fasha dipped into the power of the oozaru and felt pure hell flow through her. The power moved like sludge in her veins, stretching them out until the point of tearing. Only that sludge was plasma because it burned her from the inside out, the agony was indescribable. For the past twenty-five years, Fasha knew pain. There was no way that she hadn't when she crawled from the lowest of the low-class to one of the strongest mid-class, but nothing she had ever experienced before could prepare her for the hellish pain coursing through her.

Even spending the past few days trying to adapt to the pain, to find a balance between it and the rage that demanded that she lay waste to everything. It sounded so simple, but giving in to the rage grew so tempting as the flames grew, fueled by the pain until one or the other overwhelmed her mind. Already, she could feel her control slipping, only now Tarble wasn't here to stop her.

"RahhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHH!" Fasha screamed, rushing the vanguard, a fist raised high. Its blade shifted, going to take her arm off, only for her to lash out with a foot, catching it in the stomach. What once was a hard, unyielding metal gave way underneath the force of her blow, her foot tearing through its stomach. The vanguard folded over, offering up a perfect shot at the scarab on its back.

She destroyed it with a fist, triumph singing in her veins as the vanguard died. Fasha tossed the corpse away, the rage and pain surging through her. Her gaze landed on Tora, who wore a grim expression as he prepared himself to either enter the Wrath State or be killed by her.

Then, Fasha let the Wrath State go. The power vanished, disappearing like it was never there, a phantom pain still lingered but compared to what it was, Fasha could ignore it easily. Floating back down, her breathing heaved, sweat dripping down her face that she wiped away. Despite it all, a smirk found its way on her face.

"Three seconds," Fasha stated, wishing that she had some water. She could manage to control herself enough in the Wrath State that she could let herself let it go for about three seconds. That was...just how far ahead was Tarble? She could control herself for three seconds and Tarble hadn't left the Wrath State in three days. Worse, he was in perfect control over himself now.

Fasha knew there was a gulf between them in terms of power, but now she caught a glimpse at just how large it really was. Because, she knew, that Tarble was only going to get stronger during the time she was spent catching up.

"Well done," Matillo complimented, nodding in her direction. "An interesting approach," he said, sounding like he was going to be stealing it from her. That was fine. Actually, that was perfect.

"Let's hurry up and detonate the bombs," she said, standing tall and squaring her shoulders. "And see if we can snipe any scarabs from Tarble up top." At that, Shugesh smiled fiercely - unsurprising, he never liked being left out of a fight. Borgos nodded, munching on a strip of jerky that he kept somewhere. And never shared.

Tora nodded, "Can't let him have all the fun." He said simply, his tone even. She knew by that tone, he was thinking about the future beyond this battle. About what-ifs that wouldn't matter for years. And she'd be a liar if she said she hadn't thought about them as well. But, in the end, Bardock had the chance to kill Tarble and hadn't taken it. That was reason enough for her to make sure that Tarble didn't get himself killed here.

With that, they took off, time ticking by as they set up the bombs before Tora detonated them. A time consuming anticlimactic mission that was absolutely torturous because they knew the reason why nothing was happening was because of Tarble. Any resistance that was left on their way back was torn through like they weren't even there, not a single scarab to delay them.

"Both projects are nearing completion. One hour left," Technician gave them a heads up through a message on their screen. Either it though the coms were safe, or it was trying to bait the Reach. Either way, they still had another hour left until they could get off this irradiated rock. For perhaps the first time in her life, Fasha hoped their next one would be an easy world to take so they could focus on mastering the Wrath State.

"We hear you. See you in one," Tora answered as they reached the main tunnel before blasting upwards. Fasha's heart raced, images of the brief fight that she had seen when she went up. For three seconds at a time, she would be able to partake in that fight. Between all of them, they might have a chance to cull their numbers to the point they could leave whenever they wanted.

It didn't take them long to reach the top of the tunnel. Fasha braced herself to see a warzone, trying to picture the carnage of the fight that Tarble had inflicted on the Reach.

The very last thing that she expected to see was a Champion scarab holding Tarble by the neck as it drove a blood-red blade through his chest before yanking it down, carving through his ribs until it exited around his hip. Along with her heart, Tarble began to fall.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	27. Smell of Freedom

The Champion scarab was on top of me almost as soon as Fasha caught the scouter. Flipping around, I dodged a missile and with the same action, I slashed at another. These weren't the black holes ones, I realized when I felt my eyebrows singe when I was blasted in the face with what felt like the intensity of a sun. The explosion claimed a part of the ruined space elevator, the heat so intense that parts of it began to melt.

Through the fire, the Champion flew at me, one arm twisted in an ominous red sword while the other aimed some kind of blaster at me. It wasn't a plasma one, I knew them by sight at this point. It raced forward, steaming from the heat, and I surged forward to meet it halfway.

The cannons on its shoulders flared to life as I neared, releasing a torrent of destruction that barely slowed me down before we clashed in a shower of sparks. I lashed out with a kick at its head, only to pull back when it's cannons shifted to take off the offending limb. The other cannon aimed at my chest, forcing me to move upwards as the Champion slashed at me. The cannon fired, carving an arc upwards as I flipped out of the way, finding myself behind the scarab.

That wasn't right, I thought even as I attacked the exposed scarab on its back, sensing a trap. I was proven correct when the scarabs armor surged near its armpits. My eyes went wide when, in a split second, a secondary pair of arms appeared underneath the first, one of them jabbing a blaster in my face. Reacting on instinct, the ki blade that formed around my hand flattened out, shaping into a round shield that I used to deflect the blast of plasma.

It cracked, breaking within a moment, but that was all that I needed to put some distance between us. That was new. I didn't like that. I didn't like that at all.

The Champion shifted, turning towards me, the new fake arms shifting until they were both blasters of different types while the original arms became matching lightsabers. The cannons on its shoulder shifted, forcing me to move but I noticed that its armor was rather thin. Before I could act on the observation, a wall of plasma raced towards me from dozens of other scarabs.

Flying upwards, doing them, I raced towards the formation of scarabs. There were just too many for me to take in a straight fight. If they got one good hit in, the Champion would finish me off before I could recover.

"One day," I said, weaving through plasma and missiles, preparing a Kamehameha at my side. Technician needed one day to take care of the ship - to make everything, to test it, to run safety checks and so on. One day to make sure we were ready to leave. Twenty-four hours. I don't think that had ever seemed like such a long time before now.

I fired off my Kamehameha, taking out a vanguard scarab and a few scouts before I dove into the wreckage of a building to catch a black hole bomb trying to sneak up on me. Bursting through the other end, I circled around, banking while scarabs fired at me.

This...was a different kind of fight, I realized as I dodged their attacks, readying two Riot Javelins as I punched through another building to avoid them for a moment. This wasn't a simple clean fight between two opponents or a fast and brutal one. This was unlike any fight I had ever been in before.

This was a fight of attrition. There wasn't going to be a grand clash or an explosive finish. I couldn't afford it. I had to keep the bulk of their numbers wrapped up on me until we could leave, and unless I could take them out with one big attack...no, I had to approach this fight differently. All my fights prior to this were fast, lasting minutes at most, and this one was going to last a full day.

I had to pace myself. I had to chip away at their numbers. I had to assume that I was going to be fighting for the next twenty-four hours with the same intensity as I've spent the past...thirty minutes. That was…

I had to do it. No thoughts about if I could, I just had to do it. I said that I would, and everyone down there was relying on me to keep my word. So I would. And that was that.

Sucking in a deep breath, I let go of the ki attack that I was building up in favor of darting forward, tearing through a building. A vanguard was waiting for me on the other side, a missile nearly impacting against my face but I dodged out of the way. A black hole flared out behind me, just not close enough to claim anything since I still had all my limbs. Closing the distance between us, I dodged a plasma blast before delivering a kick to the side of the scarabs head, reducing it to a mist.

As soon as it was dead, more scarabs fell upon me, coming from all angles. I darted into another building, only for the champion to cut me off inside - a concussive force slammed into me, feeling like the wall hit my insides directly before my body was sent flying out of the building before I could correct myself. Scarabs fired at me, forcing me to retreat into another building. It offered up some cover, but beams of plasma ripped though it just as easily as I had and the Champion wasn't willing to let me go.

It fired off another concussive blast at me. I formed a Destructo Disk in my hand before I held it up as a shield and pushed it forward. This time I didn't feel like my organs get tenderized, so I'm guessing whatever I just did, it worked. Flicking my wrist to the side, I sent the Destructo Disk at the Champion, only for the two bright red blades to slam against the ki attack while the cannons locked onto me. It already prepped a shot, giving me only a split second to act as the Champion deflected by Destructo Disk.

White filled my vision as I shaped another shield. This one couldn't be flat like the others because this was a sustained blast. Curling up, the ki shield I summoned became a cone that the white-hot plasma washed over. The heat was indescribable as plasma washed over me as I channeled more and more ki to my lifeline as it was worn away just as quickly. My armor glowed, steaming from the heat, and it grew hotter until it began to melt. Sweat poured out of every pore in a vain attempt to cool me down, only to evaporate into nothing.

It was like I was being cooked alive. The sharp pain of the heat multiplying until it was torturous. In a way, it was almost as bad as the pain of the Wrath State. But, only almost. Gritting my teeth, I channeled more ki into the shield, waiting for the blast of plasma to let up so I could make my next move.

I survived the onslaught, and as soon as it faded, I surged forward. The Champion seemed shocked to see that I was still alive because my feet slammed into its chest and at that moment, I yanked the Destructo Disk that it had deflected out of the building back inside. The Champion reacted, blocking the attack with one arm, only for me to flare the attack to life. It rapidly expanded, warping around the blade of plasma, forcing it to use its other arm.

The other arms aimed at me, but it was too slow on the draw.

"Spiral Buster!" I shouted, a dark blue spiraling ki attack erupting from my hands before it made a short trip to crash against the Champion's chest- no, not its chest. The extra set of arms condensed into a shield, a mockery of mine. With the piercing power of my attack defused, ki washed over the shield almost harmlessly.

I crossed the distance between us, seizing the initiative, but the element of surprise was gone. The Champion surged forward to meet me and we clashed yet again.

"Not bad Tarble," The Champion commented as we erupted through the next few floors before leaving the building. Its voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. Still, it was surprising to hear it speak at all. I figured that the Reach would take complete control over a Champion scarab. It seemed like a big risk to take.

I grit my teeth in response as we sailed into the air, clashing with a flurry of blows while other scarabs offered support from afar. My breathing became deeper as a sinking sensation settled in my gut. How long had it been since Fasha left? Had it even been an hour yet? I didn't have my scouter, so I couldn't check, but it settled on me that this fight had barely begun.

"Could you tell me if the others made it out?" The Champion scarab asked, a note of concern in its voice even as it fired a concussive blast at me that I barely managed to block. My eyes narrowed into slits - why was it asking about the others? Wait, did it think that the others were already making an escape? Had they? I don't think so, but if they did, then I wouldn't know without my scouter…

How long had I been fighting? Had it been hours already and I hadn't noticed? No, it couldn't be. And...my team wouldn't leave me behind like that. I knew they wouldn't. I had my doubts before, but now I was certain that they had my back in a fight.

"How long has it been since D'xe?" The Champion continued to question, a note of desperation in its voice. The question caught me off guard, almost enough that a blood-red lightsaber nearly took my head off. Why was it asking about D'xe? "It feels like its been years…"

"Who are you?" I couldn't stop myself from asking as I clashed against its red sabers with a shower of sparks. The Champion scarab let out a rueful chuckle after a split second, the sound was odd and sad.

"Suppose you wouldn't recognize me in this getup," the Champion said as we fought to overpower one another. My mind raced, trying to figure it out until it hit me. I knew who it was. When the Champion continued, it just confirmed it for me.

"It's me, Leek," the Champion scarab said and, for the briefest of seconds, I faltered. Leek made me pay for it in blood. The cannons shifted, the barrel becoming narrower in nature before a bright light shot from them. I reacted as fast as I could, but it was too late. A searing white-hot beam of plasma about as thick as a pencil punched through my chest, just above my heart.

My arms almost buckled underneath the blow Leek rained down on me, sending me flying downwards, and with the action, I sliced through my collarbone like it wasn't even there. The wind rushed by my ears as I raced towards the ground, recovering from the near-fatal attack. And revelation. The scarab was Leek? How? How could that be possible?

All I knew was that Leek never got off D'xe when the Reach blew it up, and the others figured that he had died. I was unconscious at the time, so all I had was second-hand details…

I slammed into the rough of a building, punching through several floors before one managed to hold my weight. My left side felt numb, and what wasn't numb, burned. I was still alive, though, but I saw plasma rushing towards me so that was about to change in a moment. Oddly enough, the revelation that it was Leek gave me more trouble than the wound that he gave me.

He was a member of the team. We were hardly ever close, though it wasn't because he hadn't tried to reach out to me, but even years later, I still recalled how he left me behind when that dragon had attacked us. It was the smart move, and understandable, and I was better off for it, but I still never shook that first impression of him.

And now, we were the ones that left him behind on D'xe. Where he must have been captured by the Reach and a scarab was attached to him.

I wonder if he thought we would come to rescue him?

"Ahhh," I groaned, throwing myself out of the way of the plasma beam that obliterated the building I was in. One hand went to my shoulder, the gap was narrow, but it was noticeable. I couldn't really move my arm that well, and my breathing was poor. The building collapsed behind me, dust obscuring me for a moment, as I fell with grace across a street. I only had a moment before I got swarmed.

"What a pathetic show," I muttered, tensing my muscles on my left side, trying to regain some feeling. The pain was almost a welcomed improvement. My left hand curled into a fist, showing that I still had some control, but I wasn't sure how much good it would do when my collar bone and a few ribs were missing a quarter-inch segment.

I told Fasha and the others that I was going to hold off the entire Reach advance for an entire day and I didn't even last the hour. Now, I wasn't sure if I could reasonably take on other scarabs, much less that Champion...Leek. The plan to chip away at their numbers, to stall them for however long it took...I couldn't do it. It was a tall order when I was in perfect condition, but now I was missing a good arm and fighting with one lung.

A slow breath entered my undamaged lung, my heart hammering at my ribs as I pushed away the self-pity. This wasn't the time for it.

I told them that I was going to give them all the time that they needed, so I would. End of story. I wasn't going to let a little wound like this get in my way. If I wasn't strong enough to do it now, then I simply had to get stronger. There were no ifs. I had to, so I was going to.

I let the breath out slowly, savoring the feeling as I focused on the power of the oozaru. None of the others had really questioned why I chose to remain in the Wrath State for the past three days. Part of it was to make the 501st feel safe because I was there - whenever they would use their scouters, they would see my power level and know that even if a Champion scarab came down, we would win.

The other part was I was forcing my body to adapt to the Wrath State. The pain never faded, and I doubt it ever would, but my body adapted to the stress of the Wrath State. It was still early, far earlier than I would like, yet I didn't have a choice. Matillo brought up the point of learning to control the amount of power I drew from the oozaru form, limiting it so it didn't have to be a times ten.

However, that naturally brought up the point of was it possible to increase instead? To push the power beyond a time ten multiplier to times eleven, or twelve or so on?

If there was ever a time to find out, then this was it.

"I'm sorry Tarble," Leek said, not content to wait for me to pull a powerup out of my ass. He rushed down at me, the blades poised to cut me into in segments with a large X. The cannons were poised on me, as were his second arms.

The dust that surrounded us began to swirl as I dug in deep. A hum of power that surged through my veins, I pulled on it, dragging more of it from the source, the pain worsening but I could handle it. If it meant that I could make sure we all got off this planet, then I could deal with anything.

A deep green glow emitted from my body, a shimmering aura as my hair drifted upwards…

Leek's blades clashed against my ki blades, my muscles tightening to make up for my bones. Spark drifted away from me instead of falling on my face, as they should, the dust continued to swirl around us. A low groan escaped me, feeling the pressure of the power that coursed through me. It was like my veins weren't large enough to hold it, and now the power of the oozaru was pressing down on my bones with enough pressure it felt like they could snap.

I...wasn't ready for this technique.

"I'm sorry too, Leek," I said, a vein bulging in my forehead, my ki becoming green as it surged around my hands. Our eyes met for the briefest of seconds, and we both knew what this was. I couldn't save him and he didn't expect to be saved.

This was goodbye.

With renewed strength, I slashed at Leek, arcs of green ki erupting from my ki blades with enough force that Leek was forced back. I surged upwards, dodging a white blast of plasma from his shoulder cannons, punching through the swirling mist. As soon as I did, the other scarabs fell upon me, thinking that I was weakened, but I was stronger than I've ever been.

My ring rose despite my speeds, drifting upwards until it was practically in front of my nose.

*Tarble of Planet Vegeta* the ring spoke to me in a synthetic voice.*You have-*

"Fuck off," I snarled at the ring, weaving through plasma fire as I upped my hands together to funnel ki, prepping a Hellzone Grenade. The plan had changed. I couldn't afford to pace myself. Not when I had no idea when this power was going to leave me or my body would give out. "You can tell the Guardians I said that."

It barely registered that my ring was talking to me, but I had far more pressing issues to deal with. I dipped down, throwing my hands out and firing out the ki attacks, the balls of compact ki ripping through buildings as I left a trail of them behind me as I flew through the streets, Leek hot on my tail.

*Contacting the Guardians* The ring informed me as I spun out of the way of a missile, power surging through my veins. A vein burst in my eye, dying my vision red, but I could still see, so it was fine.

*Prince Tarble-* a voice started but I didn't have time for it.

"Fuck off," I swore at whoever was speaking, then I cut off the communication. Showed how useful the rings were, I had to tell them myself instead of the stupid thing passing the message along.

My ring returned to its rightful place, and at that moment, I twisted in air before clenching my fists, "Hellzone Grenade!" I shouted, dozens of ki blasts exploding in response. Buildings gave out, collapsing into each other as rubble rained down on the street below. I forced myself to take in a deep breath, letting the dust wash over me.

The plan changed. Now it was to destroy as many scarabs as I could with the time that I had. With that thought in mind, I surged forward, rushing through the mist and spared a wish that I still had my scouter while I prepared another ki attack.

Leek rushed towards me, it's cannons firing, only this time it was another focused blast that cut through the dust and smoke. Ki shaped in my hands, forming Destructo Disks in both hands before I threw them at Leek. He dodged, but I wasn't aiming at him. The disks expanded, spinning with enough force that the dust cleared up some in their wake, revealing that I had claimed a few scarabs.

I could feel their presence like an itch on my skin, almost. It was weak, only barely there, but it was enough to convince me it wasn't a case of there were too many scarabs for me to miss.

Leek clashed against me in another shower of sparks, our duel continuing, only now I took the offensive. Even with four arms and two cannons, Leek was pushed back, narrowly avoiding fatal blows as we flew through the ruins of the city. He said nothing now, having said what he wanted, knowing there was no point in asking to be saved, but…

"The team's fine," I told Leek in one of our clashes. They blurred together, time impossible to track. The only thing that I could tell was that the number of scarabs was being chipped away. I could only hope it was because I was killing them and they weren't slipping around me. "Everyone got out alive on D'xe." Except for him, I added silently to myself.

Leek didn't respond at that time. He didn't respond for another three clashes, each one broken up with me attacking the supporting scarabs, chipping away at their numbers. I couldn't tell if each clash was minutes apart or hours. When he did, it was a voice tinged with sadness, "is Bardock here?" He asked, and I didn't answer.

The Reach had to be listening in on our conversation, even if they were letting Leek speak to mess with my head. Bardock being promoted was old news for us, but in regular time, he just got promoted to the Ginyu squad. Did the Reach think that Bardock was here? Did it change anything if he wasn't?

Three more clashes passed before I answered, "he's not. He got promoted," I explained, leaving the details vague. With any luck, whoever was listening to our conversation would underestimate us. I slashed at him, knowing that the attack was going to be blocked, and moving to counter his counter. My bones creaked as out blows clashed, I could feel them fracturing with each blow, my body simply too underdeveloped to sustain this.

"Oh…" Leek sounded an odd mix between relieved and disappointed, our clash continued in silence for some time. I flew into a building, dodging a plasma line that carved right through it, the building toppling. On the other side, there was a vanguard waiting for me to be killed. That...was the first one in a little while, I think. Were they thinning out a little bit? Was I still winning? "Could you tell him something for me? Could you tell him that I'm sorry for not being there when his dream comes true?"

Leek broke off before I could answer, my voice rough from my heavy breathing. Blood poured from my nose like a broken faucet, dripping from my face in a river even though I hadn't been hit in the face. My vision was covered with red, almost to the point I couldn't see. My bones ached, creaking under the strain I placed on them while a cold numb sensation started in my fingertips.

I gave chase, tearing through a building as I took out another vanguard scarab. Others circled around, no where near the numbers they were earlier, and forcing me to abandon the chase. Darkening green ki swirled into the palms of my hands that seemed to much larger than normal, before I laid waste to those that got in my way. It was a blur of violence and explosions, and it was only broken up when the scarab that controlled Leek used the butchery of its comrades to launch a sneak attack.

We clashed again, the air shaking with each blow that we delivered. His plasma blasters fired away, hitting nothing but air as Leek led me away from the cover that the ruined buildings offered. My mind was filled with nothing but the next move, and what I would do after it. His words tugged at my focus until I was compelled to answer him as we fought over the opening of the tunnel. Our ki and plasma blades clashed, straining against one another, each trying to inch towards the other.

"I tell him," I told Leek, promising myself that I would. To do that, I had to survive this. I had to live, I had to get off this planet. But, even as I thought that I felt my body begin to buckle underneath the weight of my strength. I could feel it, I didn't have a lot of time left in this form. Leek broke the stalemate, his blades flashing in red blurs that I blocked with growing difficulty as my vision darkened.

"Thank you Tarble," Leek said as we clashed again over the mouth of the tunnel that led down to the base.

However, his thanks was undercut by a blood-red lightsaber plunging into me. I felt the burning sensation, prompting me to look down at it, only my ability to fly prevented me from cutting myself in half. My ki blade was in a position to block, but...I guess I didn't manage in time. Huh. I didn't even see the blow coming, having trusted my body to react- wait, was I bigger-

Leek yanked his blade out, carving through my organs, the blade exiting around my hip.

"TARBLE!" I heard someone scream as I fell, my head full of fog. I replayed the last few seconds, trying to puzzle out how exactly Leek managed to sneak that attack in, only for my thoughts to be interrupted as I got the ground so hard that I bounced.

My mask was making it impossible to enjoy the cool feeling of the shielding that protected the planet, my body having long since run out of water to cool myself down. And the hard suit wasn't helping much either. At the very least, the awful pressure crushing my body was gone, and now that it was, I felt so light I could float away.

It was only then that I realized that I had lost.

"It's okay," a woman's voice told me as I laid in the rubble. Everything had a red haze to it, but I saw a pair of feet walking towards me, a brown tail left uncurled just barely in view. That wasn't good, she should be wearing her armor, not whatever clothes she had managed to scrounge up. The saiyan woman knelt down next to me, laying her hand over my much smaller hand, prompting me to look up at her.

I didn't recognize her. Her skin was a stark white, as white as white paint rather than a pale skin tone. Her eyes were a dark gray, one of them had a swirl mark that told me that the saiyan was wearing war paint? No, that it was called makeup, or something. Her lips were painted black as well, while her shaggy mane of hair brushed just past her shoulders. She wasn't wearing normal clothing either, her build slender rather than muscular...if it wasn't for the tail, I wouldn't be sure if she was a saiyan at all.

"It's all going to be okay," she whispered, her voice kind as she squeezed my hand. Her voice was familiar.

"I know you," I muttered, my head getting foggy. It was getting hard to think. Like my head was full of cotton.

The unknown saiyan smiled lightly at me, "we've met once before." She answered mysteriously, making my face twist as I tried to recall when we had met. We...oh…

"I'm dying," I summarized, my tone flat. The woman paused, giving me a slow nod to confirm my words.

"You are," she agreed, her tone gentle and kind. "But everything will be okay. You don't have to be afraid," her voice was soothing, and my eyelids felt heavy. When was the last time I slept? Three days ago, at least. Maybe four since I had no idea how long I was fighting for. A nap sounded nice...but…

"What about my team?" I asked, willing my eyes open. The fog in my head grew denser with every second, but I pushed it away all the same. The woman smiled lightly at me, brushing the lock of hair that fell into my eyes away. Her fingers were cool to the touch.

"They'll be fine. They're going to get off the planet, and live out long happy lives," she promised me. I blinked slowly at that, mulling it over for a second that could have been an eternity for all I knew.

"You're lying," I accused without any real heat behind my words. There was no way that was true. Not with Leek blocking our way. With me dead, we didn't have a counter to him.

The woman's smile became sad, "most don't want the truth when they're facing the end." That was fair, I guess. Now, all I felt was...regret. Regrets that I-

"Oi! Tarble!" Another voice spoke up, interrupting my thoughts by the man smacking the side of my head a few times. "Sheesh, you said you'd be in rough shape, but this is something else. Hey, are you even still alive? Oi, Tarble, don't die yet!" The owner of the voice shifted me over, letting me get a look at him.

Another saiyan that I've never seen before. He wore armor that almost looked like Frieza-force armor, but it looked like it was made of bone, while he wore some kind of skirt. Wait, no, it wasn't a skirt, it was the bottom half of his tunic thing that ended around his knees. I blinked slowly at him, idly noting that the air seemed to shimmer around him...like a red aura, almost.

"King...Vegeta…?" I questioned, thinking that the man looked like King Vegeta if he shaved his goatee and had a slimmer build. He had the same hair, and face...but instead of being twisted in cold disdain as he looked down at me, the saiyan's face was almost comical with his concern.

"Ah, no, I'm Ya-" The saiyan seemed to catch himself before he gave a careless shrug. "That's not important right now. You'll find out eventually. But, you told me to tell you something," the saiyan said seriously as if that made absolutely any sense. How could I tell him to tell me something if I've never met the guy in my life? What?

"If you don't get up right now, then you won't just die another pointless death...but so will everyone else," the saiyan with the simmering red aura told me, his tone becoming serious. I blinked slowly at that, my mind slowly mulling over what he said.

He was right. If I didn't at least take out Leek, then everyone was going to die. Everything would have been for absolutely nothing.

My gaze landed on the woman saiyan, who looked at the male saiyan with a hint of amusement before her gaze settled on me. She gave my hand a small squeeze, an offer to...die. To leave the responsibilities of this life behind and...move on. In the end, I responded with actions rather than words.

I pulled my hand from her grasp, a low groan escaping me as I pushed myself up, one hand going to my stomach to keep my insides from falling out. I made it to my knees before I had to take a moment, glancing around me to say something to either the man or the woman.

Only to see both of them were gone. Had I imagined them?

No, it didn't matter. I looked up to see my team was fighting against Leek. Had they mastered their Wrath State- my heart dropped when I watched Leek's blood-red blade tear through one of Borgos' arms. The others were hanging back, firing off techniques that I barely recognized since they were so much more powerful. They only lasted for seconds before they fled their position.

They were moving too fast for me to see. The red haze that covered my vision was getting darker, my eyesight seemed to narrow as I tried to follow the fight. My team was losing. They were already one man down, and it wouldn't be long before Leek picked them off one by one. I wonder if he had said anything to them. I hope not. I…

"My prince!" Someone shouted, breaking my concentration. My vision swam, but I saw it was Lotuce. She stared at me with wide eyes, and I guess I must look quite the sight. Her shock only lasted a moment before she rushed towards me, muttering a quick 'hold still' before I felt her press something to my wounded torso. A foam like substance filled the gap that the blade of contained plasma carved through me, freeing up a hand so I didn't have to worry about my guts falling out.

"What are you…?" Words felt clumsy and my head was still foggy. Was I breathing? Ah, I think I forgot to do that for a little bit.

"We're securing the exit point, the ship is on its way," Lotuce explained, but that didn't make any sense at all. This wasn't an entrance that we made, was it? No…? No, it's not. "We're taking a page out of your book. They'll never expect us to leave out of this exit when we bothered to make others," she explained as she put more of that foam in my collarbone and chest. It soothed the burns, making them comfortably numb, and that was a bad thing at the moment.

"...how long?" I asked, looking back at the fight that still raged. I hadn't noticed, but there were others joining in. There were dozens of oozarus, some of them firing randomly...and I saw them die underneath the attacks of vanguard scarabs flying around. There weren't many of them, surprisingly, only a few, and that number went down even further when the few oozarus that could control themselves attacked them in return.

"Not long, the ships almost here," Lotuce answered me, getting a slow nod.

Leek was still fighting, and so long as he was here, we couldn't leave. No one could distract him long enough to keep the scarab that controlled him from destroying the ship.

He had to die.

A hand went up to my mask before I tore it off my face, savoring the taste of smog and dust-filled air simply because it didn't burn to breathe. My feet settled in a wide stance before my hands cupped at my side, a flicker of ki forming between my hands. A paltry amount to what I could normally produce.

"My prince?" Lotuce questioned, but I ignored her, trying to track Leek with my eyes but he was just too fast. He darted around, battling against my team as they attacked him with coordination that puzzled me. Each one only fought him for a few seconds before another would attack to draw his attention.

"When...I go Ha...for a second time...I want you to tell my team to back off," I told her, remembering to breathe as I channeled more ki between my hands. I looked within, finding the power of the oozaru and pulling it forward. A pain that was familiar to me returned, nearly overwhelming me, but I savored the pain. It gave me focus.

I still couldn't track Leek with my eyes. He darted around, between and through buildings, zigzagging through the sky as he fought against my team and the oozarus taking potshots at him. Slowly, my eyes drifted closed, plunging my world into darkness. My hearing was muddled, I realized, the battle sounding like it was taking place underwater.

The lack of sight and hearing sharpened my other senses, that itch that I felt earlier stood out that much more now that I was looking for it. I focused on it, submerging myself in the feeling and-

I could sense my team. Their presence flared for seconds at a time, before reducing to their base state. The oozarus had their own kind of pressure - they were so large and dense and heavy, that it was like they had a physical weight bearing down on me simply by existing. I felt Lotuce next to me, like a small candle in comparison to roaring bonfires.

It wasn't unfamiliar to me, I noticed. I felt this before, but I never dwelled on it. The tug in my gut when I was in the presence of a powerful opponent - all the way back when I was fighting saibamen and there was only a thin door separating us, but I could still feel their presence. Back when I stood before Lord Frieza and I realized how completely and utterly out of my depth I was. I felt this feeling before. I just never tried to use it for anything before.

Leek was a working-class saiyan. His presence was so small, that I nearly missed him, expecting to feel a vast presence because of the scarab that controlled him. Instead, his flame was weak, barely there, almost flickering in the wind. At one time, Leek had a power level of over a thousand, but now...it was like he was already half dead.

Killing him was a mercy.

"Ka…" I started, channeling more ki to my hands, a bright blue glow emitting between my fingers. I had one shot at this. I had to bet everything on this attack - whatever dregs of power I had left, I had to use them. "Me…"

I felt the wind stir on my clammy skin, rubble rising as I gathered more power. Already, I was feeling the pressure of my attack, the compressed ball of ki wanting to unleash, but it was too soon. It wasn't strong enough yet. "Ha...Me…" I continued, hoping that Lotuce didn't jump the gun. She didn't.

I tracked Leek with this new sense, following him, learning his patterns, and as I did, I felt thousands of other presences creep forward. The ship was coming up.

I'm sorry it had to end this way, Leek.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" I launched my Kamehameha, the greatest I had ever used. Lotuce shouted her warning through her scouter as a pillar of ki raced upwards. There was no comparing it to any other attack I had made before - even through my closed eyes, I could see the bright light it was emitting, the pressure it gave off blew back my hair and pushed against my fingers hard enough they threatened to snap backward. My feet sunk into the ground, the metal plating unable to withstand the pressure.

I felt the others get out of the way, but it was too late for Leek to do the same. My attack washed over him, pushing him back, carrying him to the atmosphere. His presence grew weaker, but I couldn't tell if it was because he was getting further away. I couldn't risk it. I needed...even more...power!

The dregs of the oozaru power surged forward, pushing myself even further past the limit. The Kamehameha surged with even greater strength, the ground buckling under the pressure. I felt like doing the same when that awful pressure returned, it felt like my bones were going to break from my own power.

Then, Leek's presence vanished.

My attack tapered off, my eyes opening to see the aftermath. The skies had cleared, revealing a hole in the sky that grew larger with every second. The fleet that was positioned above was recoiling as several ships drifted downwards, destroyed and breaking up into pieces as gravity tore them apart. They spread out, taking another formation, but the ships were out of place. An opening for us to leave through.

At that same moment, the ship surged out of the tunnel, sailing overhead towards the opening that I had created.

I did it.

The last thing I was aware of was a pair of hands that caught me before everything went black.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	28. Informationals 2

**Tarble's place in the Frieza-force:**

He doesn't want Tarble to be the face of the Frieza-force, but the Saiyans. They'll make up a pretty substantial portion of his forces but the face of the Frieza-force will always be him. As for why he wants Tarble to be the face of the Saiyan race, his story is going to be pretty fucking metal. And Frieza is going to make sure that everyone knows Tarble's story due to propaganda. I mean look at it in this context:

As a literal newborn infant, he fought to the brink of death, healed, then fought again every single day for three months. Then, still as an infant by his people's standards, he goes on a suicide mission to instigate a war with one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy. He spends years behind enemy lines, growing stronger all the while until he does the impossible- he becomes a mid-class saiyan as a toddler whereas the rest of his species spends decades trying to manage that same feat. Now, he's killed a Green Lantern in single combat.

A month later, on his first mission, he proves to be a brilliant tactician and leader. He provided the plan that took out a sizable Reach fleet that vastly outnumbered their own, and it was a decisive victory until reinforcements showed up. He rescues a company that was on the verge of being wiped out to the man, fighting through Reach controlled territory that was infested with scarabs. And it only gets crazier from there - he steals incredibly valuable data from the Reach, he captures a high-value prisoner, he fought an army of scarabs to a standstill for six hours, he killed a Champion scarab with a flashy finish, then the incredibly valuable planet of Rench was rendered useless for years. He turned a crushing defeat into a total victory.

And he's still a toddler. What's he going to be like in another four years? Or ten? Or twenty?

* * *

**The next few arcs:**

So, on a general note - this concludes this arc. There are two interlude chapters coming before the start of the next arc. They'll cover about a two-year time skip. After that, there will be a short arc and you'll finally get a peek at what King Vegeta has been up to. Originally, there was going to be a six-year time skip after that, but I've decided against it. I'm planning to introduce new characters and elements to the story and I don't want to run into the same issue that I hit with the team in terms of lack of development.

So, there will be two very short arcs that each span about three years each. I'm planning them out to be around four chapters long or so. By then, Tarble will be twelve and have his first growth spurt. Just figured I should make a small announcement since I noticed some questions about it.

Edit: On another note, a fun fact - Leek was supposed to remain dead. Originally, I wanted his death to be left in the air to show that sometimes you don't get closure to some character's deaths. That something as simple as a loss in communication could get a character killed. It wasn't even the lack of response to his death that changed my mind. When I was writing the fight, I realized it was just another generic, faceless scarab. It had less narrative weight than the vanguard that Tarble killed in the last arc because at least then it served as a milestone and stage to introduce the Wrath State.

So, I brought Leek back and gave him a proper send-off.

* * *

**Romance**: I'm still undecided but it's incredibly unlikely that this will become a harem fic. I don't particularly enjoy them in the first place, and I don't think I could write one well enough to feel realistic and organic. Right now I'm leaning to either a Raven or Cassandra Cain pairing, but it's still in the air. It could just as easily be Blackfire, Starfire, or someone else. The only person I'm leaning against is Supergirl - personally, I think that their world views clash too much, but Supergirl apparently has an unhealthily large tolerance for creepy shit if the guy is hot enough, so who knows.

I made a post about Cass over on QQ, because of course that would be their concern, so I'll just crosspost it here:

I would disagree because there are plenty of parallels between Cass and Tarble. Their initial upbringing - Cass was tortured by her father, crippled socially, in order to create the perfect warrior. Tarble was put in the equivariant of a dogfighting ring as soon as he was born, and was only allowed to leave when he killed the dogs, all to create the perfect warrior. From there, the parallels run past each other, turning both of them into reflections of what could have been.

Cass ran away after she killed the first time, and Tarble didn't. Cass rebelled from what the league of shadows and her father was trying to turn her into, and Tarble conformed and embraced trying to turn into what his father wanted him to be. Cass learned to have a great respect for life, and Tarble gradually lost that respect except for a select few. Cassandra uses her talents to save people and Tarble uses them to kill for a war he doesn't know why it started against enemies that he's only killing because someone told him to.

It's a fun idea to toy around with because, if Tarble had run away, then he would be a lot happier for it in the grand scheme of things. So, I can see him having that respect for Cass. And I can see Cass looking at Tarble, and seeing what she could have become, and knowing what Tarble's past has cost him.

So, I think it could be rather interesting. I guess it comes down to chemistry when I write the characters. But, like I said, the romance isn't set in stone because I might like the idea of two characters together, but when I write them they won't click like I want them to. And there's nothing worse than a forced romance.

* * *

**Romance Continued**: I'm playing it by ear. As someone who has read and wrote bad romance, nothing can kill interest in a story faster for me than dealing with a poorly handled romance with forced together characters because the author wanted them to be together. There's a not-insignificant chance that Tarble doesn't end up with anyone - it all depends on how I feel writing character interactions when I get to earth if they have chemistry if they bounce off each other well, and if the romance itself lends something interesting to the narrative.

Take Cass for example. Tarble dating her puts him in direct confrontation with Batman since she's his favorite kid. The batfamily is one of the more popular list of characters, so it offers organic ways to interact with that cast. Not to mention the sheer hilarity of the conflict between Batman and Tarble while they try to keep it civil for Cass' sake.

Raven, on the other hand, I think is one of the few characters that would be able to understand Tarble and the clusterfuck that is his mental state. Right now, a psychiatrist would take one look at Tarble and prescribe him so many pills he'd be using the cap as a serving size. Her being an empath lends her rather well to this, and then there's the destruction of Azarath to think about. Their characters serve as good foils to each other because both of them were born to be monsters and they struggled against that fate. One with more success than the other. With Raven, the Teen Titan cast opens up.

With Starfire or Blackfire - They come from warrior backgrounds, which gives them a much better understanding of Tarble's mindset than, say, Superman. With Star and Blackfire, their people's histories share a great deal of similarity and both of them could be interesting foils for Tarble in different ways. Blackfire because she treats power with respect and seriousness, while Starfire is far more lighthearted and goodnatured, so both of them would bounce off Tarble in interesting ways.

So, in the end, nothing will be decided until we reach Earth. I think a poll would be a bad idea because if one character wins and I don't end up liking how the characters interact or I don't personally care for the pairing, then it's going to step on some toes if I decided against exploring the relationship.

Also, to clear things up - Tarble growing larger was him entering the second stage of the Wrath State. It's the stage where Broly's hair grows spikey, he grows larger and the green aura around him is intensified. Tarble's growth spurt will happen when he's twelve. And since it was brought up over - Tarble is biologically seven or eight years old, but the years he spent in the gestation tank don't count, like how the nine months spent in the womb don't count.

So, technically speaking, the first growth spurt happens around sixteen years of age, but because of gestation tanks, they actually happen around the twelve-year mark.

* * *

**Telling the Guardians to fuck off**: I was aiming for a subversion of expectations, and a benchmark for Tarble's progress in going native. If he was as human in mentality as he was, say four years ago, he would have used the ring. Instead of relying on borrowed power he told the guardians to fuck off and to rely on his own power. Was this the smartest move? No, it wasn't for reasons beyond the immediate loss in a power-up that would have saved the day. However, I do think it was an in-character decision on Tarble's part.

* * *

**Zenkais and how they work (an older post)**: Also, on a general note, zenkais aren't as game breaking, stupidly overpowered yet as they were in DBZ. Yet. As I understand it, the zenkais effectiveness is determined by the saiyan biology reacting to the power of an opponent, while the healing part was the body building itself back up stronger than ever, like a broken bone. The closer to death, the more it can rebuild and toughen up.

Zenkais only become game breaking when combined with ki sense. That way the body feels exactly how much stronger an opponent is, so it responds accordingly to match that strength. This is supported when Vegeta is shocked he heals after fighting Goku on earth, his pl jumping up 6,000 points, growing stronger by a 1/4. Up until this point, during the fifteen years or so of serving under Frieza, if we accept that he was stronger than his father when Planet Vegeta was destroyed, he only gained roughly 5,000-8,000 pl.

Currently, the scouters do the same thing as ki sense but in a much less effective method. Seeing a number that is bigger than your number isin't the same as feeling the gap in power. Which brings me to the point of this little spiel.

Until ki sense is gained, the largest zenkai a saiyan can gain is about 5%. Most will be closer to 1%. This first one is an outlier because the SI understands that if the saibaman stood there, doing nothing while he punched it, the very most he could hope to do was get it dirty with his blood. His body reacted to that gap in power, which is why he got closer to a 30%.

* * *

**Zenkais continued**: Sort of? A lot of it is how close you get to death so the body can build itself back stronger. The rest is how the body feels the difference in power. For example; I have a friend of mine that does MMA, and he thinks that he could put up a fight against big names like Mcgregor and Cris Cyborg Justino. He can't, but because he has fighting experience, he thinks that he would at the very least get a few good hits in. It's that mentality that makes zenkais less useful as time goes on. Because you have experience, because you think you can at least do something to the opponent that so much stronger than you, the body doesn't get this feeling of 'holy fucking shit, I'm so dead they'll have to make a new word to describe how dead I am.'

But, again, a lot of that funnels into how damaged the body is. When you get that feeling plus being beaten within an inch of your life, you get a 30% zenkai. If you get that feeling but don't get beaten within an inch of your life, then you don't get a zenaki at all. If you get beaten within an inch of your life, but you thought you could totally take the guy even though you knew deep down that you couldn't, you get a 1%-5%.


	29. Touch of Progress

I awoke in a healing pod like so many times before, only this time it wasn't easing out of my mind, caught between consciousness and sleep, waiting for someone else to tip the balance to the former. I awoke with a jolt, my eyes snapping, a hand going to the mask on my face, then to my side, feeling flesh underneath my fingers. I was naked. In a healing pod? That...that was good, right?

Wanting to find out, I hit the draining button, getting out - it was impossible to tell how long I've been in there, but I didn't feel any lingering pains...but, when my gaze landed on my reflection in a mirror, I noticed that my body was hardly fully healed. The most eye-catching of my scars was the one that slashed across my stomach, about two fingers wide, the flesh had a reddish hue to it from near my sternum down to my hip in a straight slash.

The second was the one on my shoulder. It was narrower, the healing pod making it smaller as well, but…

"If it was another inch lower...I would have had a really cool scar…" I muttered, eyeing the scar. There was already a slash from the scout class scarab back on Rockoroad that pierced my heart before slashing to the side at an angle. A few inches lower, and the scars would have intersected, forming a small x. I mean, I probably would have died if the attack was any lower, but if I didn't, then I would have had an awesome scar.

Testing the range of motion in my arm and side, I saw that the damage only seemed to be cosmetic. Satisfied, I turned my attention to my surroundings - a medical room, but now that I was looking at it, the healing pod itself looked rather rough. Not slapped together rough, but it was hardly the polished, neat, appearance that I was used to seeing.

As if to answer my questions, the door to the room that I found myself in slid open, revealing Tora. He blinked at me, his eyebrows rising, "I think this is the first time you've woken up on your own," he commented, sporting an easygoing grin that was refreshing to see. It meant that we were safe, wherever we were.

I don't think he was wrong, either. "I woke up on my own back when I was fighting saibamen," I defended myself. "But what's the situation? Are we on the ship? Are we out of Reach space?"

The easygoing grin remained in place as he nodded, a reassuring sign. "We're on the ship in Frieza-force controlled space. We sent out an SOS and got a ping back. Now we're being escorted back to Queen Teach's fleet. The wink-drive worked like a charm, from what I understood. I gave the order to build the bomb that you got the materials for and before we made our exit, we sent it at Skrew. It blew up the planet, now Rench is useless for the next couple of years."

I blinked, "so we accomplished our mission?" I asked myself more than him, though Tora nodded all the same. "Good thinking. I completely gave up on the mission," I admitted, surprised that we managed to pull that off and now my mind raced over the implications.

Without Rench, this entire front was going to suffer from lack of supplies. It won't be instant, and they could always get supplies from other factory worlds, but there was going to be a lull that we could take advantage of. With Queen Teach…actually, there were more important things I should be thinking about.

"Is the team alright? Everything got hazy at the end, but did I see Borgos get his arm cut off?" I asked, making Tora's easygoing grin slip a fraction as he nodded.

"Yeah, down at the elbow. That tech alien said it can flash clone him a new one when we reach the fleet. Not sure if Borgos will go with it, though. Doesn't like the idea of it," Tora explained, "other than that, though, no major injuries. That biofoam stuff saved your life. After you had a surgery to get rid of the cooked bits, the foam pretty much acted like your organs until it became them because of some kind of science mumbojumbo."

So, I really came close to death this time. "I'll make sure that he gets a new arm," I decided, resolved to stick the arm on him myself if I had to.

There was a beat of silence as we neared a topic neither of us wanted to speak about. In the end, I was the one that broke the silence, glancing at the new scars on my body.

"I killed Leek," I stated bluntly, my hands clenched into fists. Tora let out a small sigh as he nodded his head.

"You did...but it was for the best. There's no way to take a scarab off, and he would have died rather than live with that thing on him any longer. You did the only thing you could do for him. At the very least, he got a warrior's death," Tora told me, his words a small comfort. Still, it didn't change the fact that I had killed a teammate.

Me and Leek were hardly close, but we had fought together for years. And...while he was captured by the Reach, a scarab attached to his back against his will, I had been sleeping. When I heard that he was likely dead, I barely gave it any thought. I-

A fist lightly thumped me on the top of the head, something Bardock used to do. "Don't overthink it. Leek died how he wanted to die - in battle. Regretting it won't change a thing," Tora stated, getting a sigh from me. He waited for my nod to gesture to a stack of clothes and armor. "Frieza wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke up." My eyes widened a fraction before I gave a hasty nod.

"I'll go there right now. Just let me get dressed," I said, shrugging on some clothes as my stomach clenched uncomfortably. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to get chewed out by Frieza for the losses we had suffered from a hair brain scheme that we barely managed to pull off.

Once I was dressed, I stepped out of the medical room. I hadn't spent a lot of time on Reach ships, but, just walking in the hallway was enough to convince me that this was a Reach designed ship. It had that same feel to it, even if the details were erased. Tora was waiting for me, walking beside me as I flew through the air, not to slow us down. I seriously couldn't wait for my first growth spurt. Being knee height with everyone got old fast four years ago.

"Are we doing good on food?" I asked, and, surprisingly at that Tora grimaced.

"...Yeah, but that paste stuff is beyond gross. I'd rather not eat at all than take another bite of it," Tora admitted, and I think I might have underestimated just how nasty it must be if a saiyan of all people was refusing to eat it. "And we lucked out - there was an asteroid where we teleported with a bunch of water. So, we're good on that end."

There was a knot tension still between my shoulder blades, but a weight was lifted off my shoulders. We were off Rench. We had food and water. We were going to be picked up by friendlies. "Casualties?" I asked, clenching my jaw to brace myself for the number. Coming out of the exit we hadn't made was a nice trick, but there's also where the Reach's defenses were at their strongest.

"We lost most of the saiyans, but the ones that managed to control their oozaru form managed to make it out," Tora answered with a frown. So, in the end...they did end up being meat shields, hadn't they? "And another five hundred soldiers, so the 501st is down to just under four thousand. Counting those that are in any condition to fight, they're closer to three thousand."

Out of the fifteen thousand that had landed on Rench, only four thousand made it back.

That would explain why the halls were so empty, letting us reach the command deck without seeing anyone. The doors slid open, revealing a handful of aliens, including-

I jerked when the room exploded into noise. The aliens started clapping their hands, a great big cheer echoing down the halls, filling the room as aliens stood out of their chairs, turning to face me and Tora as they continued to cheer. I looked around, feeling lost - what were they cheering about? Did something good happen?

"Glad to see you've recovered, sir," the black and white alien said, an easy smile on his face that showed off impossibly white teeth. "From what the other said, we thought it'd be months before you left the healing pod." Then he stuck out a hand as he approached, I shook it after a moment of hesitation, "I actually don't think I ever introduced myself. Captain Avery of the 501st."

...I think he knew that I didn't know his name…

"Tarble, planetary elite squad," I returned, shaking his hand, careful not to break his hand or anything. The alien captain back on Rockoroad taught me that I had to be careful when dealing with other aliens. And I was a lot stronger than I was back on Rockoroad.

"I'm speaking for all of us when I say thank you for getting us off that rock," Avery said, giving me a firm nod. I tried not to shift uncomfortably at the praise, I had to stop being so weird when it came to people doing it, but I felt it was going to be a long time before I got used to praise.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you all off," I returned. Avery blinked slowly, his face set as he nodded. He stepped out of my way, accepting my apology and fell in line next to Tora. With that, I turned to the command center, and one of the aliens sent the call out to Lord Frieza. I didn't have so much as a second to prepare myself before a hologram of Lord Frieza appeared on the screen.

"Tarble…," Lord Frieza began, looking down at me. In response, I lowered myself to the ground and fell into a bow, hoping that whatever disappointment- "You've outdone yourself. You've exceeded every expectation that I could have imagined...well done, Prince Tarble." Lord Frieza said, a note of amusement in his voice that made it hard to tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic.

I looked up, my surprise must have shown on my face because Lord Frieza continued, "It is unfortunate that Rench will be out of production for a few years, but the fact of the matter is that it is ours now. Not only that, the data you stole from the Reach is invaluable." Judging from the stress that Lord Frieza placed on the word, I don't think he said it very often.

"Above all else, you even managed to secure a highly valuable prisoner," Lord Frieza continued, his smile growing a fraction and it was sharp enough to cut. "I will be taking him into my care personally." I think that the Reach alien would probably have prefered that I killed it back on Rench if it knew what fate awaited it.

"Well done Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza said and that knot of tension vanished with those four words. "Though...I do have to ask, is it true that your ring activated and that you told the Guardians to...fuck off?" He asked, sounding amused at the thought while my heart dropped to my feet.

Did that happen?

"I don't recall that happening, things got pretty hazy during the fight...but if you have to ask, then it's likely…" I admitted, feeling warmth crawl up my cheeks. Then I grew worried. "I would never use the ring, of course, and I'm very sorry if I caused you any trouble with my language-"

"Such modesty," Lord Frieza commented, his tone teasing rather than mocking, or so it sounded. "I found it simply hilarious when I heard, so you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I find myself envious. I have been telling them much the same, but I doubt they ever heard any of my messages. No, if anything, I'm thankful for what you said." There was some context there that I felt that I was missing, but I didn't have time to think on it because Lord Frieza continued.

"But, I can't let such deeds go unrewarded. You seem to take after Bardock more than I would have thought...the 501st is now under your direct control. Outfit them how you see fit...and I'll grant your unit some measure of autonomy while I'm at it."

I was being given the 501st? That was...shocking.

Lord Frieza raised an eyebrow as if sensing my apprehension. "Do you not like my gift?" He questioned, a sharp edge hidden in his tone.

"It's not that," I hastily explained, trying to find the words. "I...don't think I'm ready for such a responsibility right now. I don't want to throw lives away because of my inexperience...I've only gotten used to commanding my team of five-"

"Ahhhh, you're so very earnest, prince Tarble. I rather like that about you. Very well, I understand your apprehension. In that case, you will be given time. For now, the 501st will stay whatever size it is now, and in two years' time, it will be reinforced to full strength. Does that sound better?" Lord Frieza asked, earning a firm nod and a relieved smile from me.

"Thank you Lord Frieza," I said honestly, earning another chuckle from him.

"Oh, no, thank you Prince Tarble. You have more than proved me right about you," Lord Frieza waved my thanks off. "And I'm sure your parents are very proud of you as well for what you have accomplished."

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure if I should correct him or not. "I'm sorry, Lord Frieza, but I'm not part of the royal family yet. My power level will have to exceed ten thousand for me to be acknowledged by King Vegeta." I decided to tell him, even though he likely didn't care-

My thoughts were cut off when Lord Frieza began to laugh that odd laugh of his. I gaped at him in confusion, wondering if he was laughing at me, but that didn't seem to be the case. "No one has told you yet? Excellent, I'm glad I get to give you some good news in return for the good news you have brought me."

Wait...I glanced over at Tora, confused on what the hell he was talking about. Tora responded by tossing me his scouter, a lopsided grin on his face. I caught it, attaching it to the side of my face and doing a self-scan...the number kept going up. And up. And up. And up until it settled on a number far beyond what I ever expected to reach.

13,550.

My power level jumped over nearly five thousand points.

"I'm sure Queen Teach will like to do it herself, but you have been welcomed into the saiyan royal family. Congratulations Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza said as a numb sensation traveled through my body.

I did it. Against every odd, I did it. I was a member of the elite-class.

I was part of the royal family. I could call Vegeta my brother. I could call Teach my mother. I could call King Vegeta my father.

I did it.

As I marveled at the revelation that I achieved a long sought after goal, Lord Frieza continued, but, despite myself, I barely heard him.

"I'll have to increase my expectations of you Prince Tarble. Though, I know you won't disappoint."

* * *

He really was so very earnest, it was honestly hilarious, Frieza thought to himself, still smiling as he ended the call. Rench was merely the first machine world that his force would be claiming, and while it was such a shame it would take a few years to get it up and running again, it was better than the fate he had inflicted on Sereall.

It truly was a shame that he had to destroy the planet to make his debut on the galactic stage. He needed every single world to make his grand plan for this company to take its natural next steps. Oh, father had kicked up quite a fuss with him about starting a war with the Reach but had quieted down once he explained his plan. Even Cooler, the sourpuss, stopped snipping at him. Or that was because Frieza stopped reading his messages. Either or.

They made a tidy profit from selling planets to the Reach, only it paled in comparison to the value that the planets now held after thousands of years of the Reach developing them. Trillions upon quintillions of credits spent on building infrastructure, developing land, and so on. Not only was that money that the Trade Organization didn't have to spend developing those worlds to be worth their new price tag, but they stood to gain hundreds of times the price that they originally sold them for.

Reselling the planets would pay for this war a million times over, but not only that, it offered the Trade Organizations options. Once this world was concluded, they would be sitting on the golden egg. The Reach's greatest strength was their production - they could out produce any empire three times over with a civilian economy. Now that they were in a full-on war economy, that number skyrocketed.

The Trade Organization would seize their machine worlds, their centers of production, and use them. Only tanks and guns wouldn't be the only thing that they used them for. The Trade Organization would use their worlds to become the single greatest producer for all kinds of merchandise! Ships, tvs, toys, weapons, kitchen appliances! If it could be sold, then the Trade Organization would create it with a great big logo slapped on it.

They would completely undercut the competition with their low prices, driving them out of business, before jacking their prices as high as they felt like. Frieza would see to it that the Trade Organization became not only the greatest company in the galaxy but the only major company in the galaxy.

And when he became the economy in this galaxy, when every spec of wealth was his, even if it was in the pocket of another, he would set his sights to the galaxies beyond…

Ahh...was a lovely dream that it was...but that day was some time away.

"Hmmm...what an interesting child," Frieza commented as his ship sailed towards an unassuming planet to step on some toes. Out of curiosity, he had read the mission report - it could best be described as bold and unorthodox. Two words that were the key to Bardock's success, the reasons why he was the employee of the year, year after year.

In truth, Frieza hadn't expected him to be much of a leader. He didn't care if one of the others took the reins, so long as Tarble was the face of the team, then he would get the credit, which would, in turn, grant his PR team more to work with. If anything, Tarble's PR team was going to be overworked if his first mission was anything to go by.

"You're plotting something again," Berryblue commented, floating by his throne. Frieza simply chuckled in response, knowing better than to try to hide it.

"Just some fun to entertain myself with. Tarble would make a rather nice king, don't you think?" He asked, smiling at the thought. It was so much fun playing with succession politics - the lesser races eagerly vied for his favor, showering him with gifts and compliments as they scurried about, and the saiyans were proving especially amusing.

"Hm. King Vegeta's plotting worked in our favor, though I suppose you hardly care for that," the alien that had raised him commented, knowing him too well. Frieza's face twisted at the mention of that monkey. Oh, it was all too obvious that he was desperately trying to find a way to lift his foot off the saiyan race's neck.

When Frieza lifted the saiyans population cap four years ago, he had been expecting a gradual increase in saiyans. Only King Vegeta had taken it upon himself to build several million of those tanks before being asked. Now their population had jumped from a mere three thousand to over three million. It had worked out in their favor, but Frieza didn't like it one bit.

"He's trying to slip out of my grip," Frieza deduced easily if only by virtue of that's what most races sought after he enslaved them. He said that the children would need a few years on Planet Vegeta to ensure their fighting strength, and Frieza allowed it simply because it didn't cost him anything to say no. If anything, it would eat into his profits because of how much three million monkeys could eat. However, it was awfully suspicious that King Vegeta also chose to stay behind instead of fighting for glory like the rest of his race.

It was hardly the most subtle preparations for a rebellion Frieza had witnessed, but the saiyans were hardly very bright.

Which brought him to his amusement. Bardock was planning his own rebellion for quite some time now. He did whatever it took to earn his favor, and he had it simply because Frieza didn't care for King Vegeta much. A planet, a prince and a king were too many things to share a name. Even better, Bardock understood the basic concept of 'Apes strong together' so he had more use for him. Though, naturally, he showed equal favor to Prince Vegeta to undercut Bardock - both because it could interfere with his plans if Bardock started his coup too early.

Mostly it was because Frieza didn't want the amusement to end so soon.

"But now a third player has thrown his hat into the race," Fireza mused. Not only did Tarble not continue that horrid naming scheme, but he seemed to stretch that concept of 'Apes Strong Together' beyond its limits, transforming it to 'Aliens funny looking apes, and Apes Strong Together.' Even better, he was becoming rather powerful by his race's standards, and saiyans followed strength, and since Tarble was loyal, he might avoid a rebellion altogether.

Though, that would raise an issue with the current heir, wouldn't it? Actually, speaking of Prince Vegeta…

"Vegeta, you won't imagine the good news I have for you!" Frieza threw on a painfully faked excited voice, watching Vegeta through a camera to see that he flinched at his sudden announcement. "Tarble's power level has jumped again, and now he's a member of your elite-class! It's thirteen thousand and five hundred and fifty!" Frieza's smile grew when he saw that Vegeta went very, very, very still at that.

Because now, the little brother had surpassed the elder brother. As it should be.

"Your parents have acknowledged him already, so you should send your best wishes. Especially after the incredible success that his last mission was. It's a bit early, but Tarble is shaping up to be the employee of the year. Oh, Ginyu is going to be so mad," Frieza realized, letting out a genuine laugh at the thought. Ginyu was so certain that the prize would be his once again after Bardock kept it out of his hands for a decade.

"I will, thank you for informing me," Vegeta said through gritted teeth. Oh, Frieza could practically taste the jealousy. He acquired a taste for it after humiliating his own older brother over the years. "And I humbly request the most challenging task when we arrive on the next planet, Lord Frieza."

Oh, this simply was too much fun. Just like Cooler, Vegeta was dead set on showing his little brother up to prove himself now. A wedge had been put between them that would only grow as Tarble continued to succeed.

"Of course, Vegeta," Frieza agreed, ending the call before cackling to himself, ignoring Berryblue's disapproving huff.

It simply was too good. Brother against brother competing for the throne. Even better, it would be mentor against student when Bardock tried to claim the throne for his own ends. A team and a family divided over a chair that had little value.

The saiyan race really was so much fun. Frieza couldn't wait for it to blow up spectacularly.

But, for now, he would wait. Let the resentment simmer, give the doubts time to breathe...it would be years before this little rebellion came to be, but, until then, he would nudge it in the direction he wanted for a truly explosive finish.

However, that was years away. For now, he had more work.

As if to agree with him, the doors to his command room slid open, revealing a slender alien with reddish skin, dark black hair, and a thin black mustache. His armor was a bright yellow and black, with a few spots of white going up his wrists. An unassuming man, if there ever was one. Yet, by some standards, Frieza knew the man was rather powerful despite his modest appearance.

What was most eye-catching about him was the symbol on his chest...and the ring on his finger.

"Ah, Sinestro. What do I owe the pleasure?"

* * *

Reach politics was an ancient intricate web of old favors and grudges that spanned for tens of thousands of years. From back-scratching to sudden betrayals, to daring rescues, to biting remarks, to a compliment, to snubbing, to ignorant insults and childhood crushes. All of it was remembered, down to the last detail, and cataloged all the way back until your first ancestor.

You were what your family name was.

For his entire life, Koter Ve'sk hated that. The backstabbing and scratching he could swallow. The constant vigilance over his actions, weighing every word to ensure that he wouldn't spark a feud that would result in his hundred times great-grandchildren being assassinated...if anything, he enjoyed it. What he couldn't stand was that his actions didn't matter. That he didn't matter. He was simply another Ve'sk in a long line of Ve'sks, and come a thousand years, he would be reduced to a footnote to be referenced for why one family allied with the Ve'sks of that generation and why another plotted revenge.

Now, standing before the Grand Admiral, he realized he might have to reflect on that hatred.

"The Sheh'shk family has long since been able to count on the support of the Ve'sk family, and I see no reason why such a minor defeat is reason enough not to keep faith," Ava Sheh'shk spoke, her fingers interlocking. Her deep gray faceplates twitched upwards into a smile that could be mistaken as kind.

He was going to get away with that blunder that should by all rights have cost him his admiralship. All because he inherited a favor from an ancestor. It was incredibly convenient. If only he hadn't inherited their grudges too.

"The Ve'sk family is glad to count the Sheh'shk amongst our closest allies, especially in such trying times," Koter spoke, his voice dripping with false sweetness, his own deep blue faceplates twitching upwards in a smile that was just as fake. His hands were clasped in his lap, his head arched in a gesture of submission. With the fickle pride of his species, even not showing enough gratitude could be considered an insult.

"Of course - our families have been the pillars that the entire Reach Empire depends upon," Shen'shk spoke the same lies that every Reach family thought about themselves. In truth, Koter wondered if the Reach Empire would even notice if every single member of their species disappeared. "Such a close bond cannot be severed by the loss of one meager planet."

Ahhh...now the fangs came out, Koter thought, his smile becoming more genuine by a fraction. "It pleases us that you think so, but it would reflect poorly on the Ve'sk family to let such generosity to go unanswered." He started, gazing at the old matriarch of the Shen'shk family in her black and gold eyes. "A marriage would be the least we could do to repay your support."

Shen'shk's didn't so much as twitch, "A generous offer. Many of the Reach families covet your gene mods." She commented lightly, seeing what he was really offering. Koter figured she wouldn't have lived to a ripe old age if she couldn't read between the lines but, in the end, her old age worked against her as well. From where she sat, he must look like a child that just barely molted into a man thinking that he couldn't be defeated.

In a sense, she wasn't wrong, but now Koter had his first taste of defeat in the hundred years of life he's lived.

"A gesture of goodwill to show our enemies that the Ve'sk and Shen'shk families shall stand together now, and always." Or until there became a convenient enough excuse to betray one another. Whichever came first. "As the current heir to the family, I humbly offer myself to be wed to your granddaughter - two main branch families joining together."

Shen'shk saw the trap that he was weaving around her, but she couldn't see why he was offering such a generous marriage. That was her problem - always looking so far into the future that she couldn't see what was in front of her. Still, he already had her. If she refused, it would be a slight and their families were anything but equals.

The Ve'sk was one of the three families that still remained from the founders of the Reach Empire when they first expanded beyond their home planet. One of the three that never slipped from prominence to be torn to shreds by those that wished to climb higher. The Shen'shk family was just as ancient as his own family, but they started as a vassal family and their rise to prominence was slow. Now, they could be considered the eleventh most powerful family in the Reach Empire, but that gap between the eleventh and tenth was vast.

"It would bring the Shen'shk great joy to bind our houses together," she said with cautious resignment that was masked by eagerness and joy. "Such a marriage was beyond our wildest imagination. The Shen'shk family humbly accepts your offer," she said, bowing her head in submission. Not that she had a choice to refuse it, but that was hardly important.

"Excellent. The ink may yet still be wet, but I suppose now that our fates are truly bound as one, we should look into expanding our influence. In truth, this recent defeat has left a rather sour taste in my mouth that can only be washed away with a victory," Koter said, raising his head in a position, the time of false submissions was over. "However, given the scale of my blunder, only a greater victory can manage such a thing…"

Shen'shks' eyes narrowed in suspicion despite herself, knowing exactly what he had asked for. And, yet, she was still searching for the hidden cost he was assigning to granting them such a beneficial marriage. With access to the Ve'sk gene mods, her family can rise to tenth place by the next generation. Perhaps she thought they could even climb higher with future generations.

If only she understood that the next generation of the Shen'shk family would likely be the last. A marriage like that would attract the Ve'sk's enemies to swat them down. And as they plummeted from grace, the other lesser families would each take their pound of flesh. The only one that would survive the plummet down would be the woman that he married.

It was a fault with their species, Koter reflected. They plotted and schemed, looking so far into the future, into the next generation, that they only realized that they tripped themselves when they fell face-first into the dirt. A lesson that he was guilty of as well, only to have tasted dirt rather recently in such a fashion that it made him keenly aware of the fault.

"As Grand Admiral of this sector, I will authorize whatever resources it takes to expunge that foul taste from your mouth," Shen'shk offered with a barely concealed grimace. Not at the cost that she had just paid, but at the cost that she thought he would demand in the future.

It was fun, Koter thought. Shen'shk thought that she would be repaying a favor, then getting owed one in return by sweeping his blunder under the rug. And now it was she that owed him a major favor instead. Even better, if he did think of a favor down the line, she would be bound to agree to it.

And now, with a marriage that would be short-lived and favors that will never be returned, he now had a fleet of ships that was closer to the fleets of Grand Admirals. Over a hundred ships to be used at his disposal, the remnants of the fleet that had fled Sereall.

With a few empty platitudes, Koter left the room significantly more powerful than when he went in it.

He hated the power that his name gave him, but he wasn't so foolish enough not to abuse it when it suited him. Especially when a fatal flaw in his species outlook had been exposed with the destruction of Sereall.

Frieza. It was impossible to best him in battle, so they were left trying to assassinate him, yet none had managed. From exotic weapons to custom made diseases, to poison to anything that the Reach Empire thought would stick. And that was when Frieza played a passive role in the war - with the destruction of Sereall, it proved just how destructive he could be if he chose to play an active role. At the moment, they had no counter to the Frost Demon.

Yet, the game hadn't changed in the Reach Empire. They looked far into the future, still kindling hope that they could possibly return to the previous business relationship, and this war would become a slight that wouldn't be brought up for another ten thousand years.

If things continued as they were...the Reach Empire might not see another ten.

But, unfortunately, he wasn't in a position to do anything about it yet. He was the heir, not the head of the family, and his family had too many powerful rivals to move freely. If the Reach was to have a long term future, then he would have to look to short term advantages that his family would one day pay for hundreds of years down the line. The fleet was a good start, but it wasn't enough. He needed more power, both hard and soft, to do what needed to be done to win this war.

It was a thrilling feeling, Koter thought. If he had known that the taste of defeat would inspire this in him, then he would have lost ages ago. Now everything felt so urgent like there wasn't enough time to do anything and given that his life expectancy was measured in centuries, for his entire life it felt like he had nothing but time. Frieza had proved him wrong by destroying Sereall, and now this Tarble had bested him when he thought he was mopping up remnants beneath his notice.

He had been content to wait them out. Once he learned that there were saiyans down there, he thought it was only a matter of time before they ate the rest of the remnants, then turned on each other with frightening quickness to indulge in cannibalism. Koter intended to use that week to make connections, to leverage his position, and instead the rug was swept from underneath him.

"That was fun," Koter mused as he walked down the halls, which were thankfully empty of attendants while his bodyguard fell in step behind him. An Elite scarab augmented with a support scarab. Being defeated had been fun after a lifetime of victories. Even better, he wasn't just defeated because of his own failings, but because of the quality of his enemy.

The saiyans were a barbaric race by any standard, but Tarble had been cunning. Misdirection, anticipating his movements, leading him by the faceplates...that barbaric race that seemed both unable and unwilling to use technology used it to orchestrate their escape. Tarble had turned an unwinnable scenario into a total victory - they made Rench uninhabitable for years, ceasing its production, they stole incredibly valuable data, and they escaped with their lives and the heir to the Tesk family, one of the other three founding families. Who Koter had hoped was eaten before that fool made a mess of anything.

For what felt like the first time in decades, Koter smiled.

"Give me everything that we have on Bardock and Tarble," he ordered the scarab. Tarble's strategies were reminiscent of Bardock's, a rather famous tactician. If he discovered how to defeat Bardock, he would find a way to defeat Tarble.

Koter found that he couldn't wait to clash against the Sayian again, and next time he would prove victorious.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	30. Touch of Time

"So, none of you are dead yet?" Bardock asked, speaking through Tora's speaker. It was his usual opening line for the past year since he joined the Ginyu squad, the few times he was able to get in touch with them. Usually, the Ginyu squad was deep in Reach territory, far beyond the limits of the scouters, for headhunting missions.

"Eh, some of us are a little worse for wear, but none of the team has died," Tora answered as he flew above the wreckage of a city, his scouter searching for holdouts of resistance. The planet they were on was a mop up - the Reach was pulling out of the sector, and what forces remained were consolidating to try to put up a fight. Queen Teach went out of her way to these worlds, searching for a decent fight now that she didn't have a kid in her stomach anymore. "I'm more surprised you have kicked it."

Bardock chuckled, "I might have if it wasn't for the Wrath State," he admitted, and if he was doing that then Tora guessed that his missions were facing a lot tougher resistance than his team was dealing with. "Saved my ass more times than I care to count." With that, Tora couldn't help but agree.

Even a year later, he hadn't mastered it. No one had. None even came close. Matillo held the record on the team that could maintain the Wrath State, and even then it was five minutes. Queen Teach was in second place, only a full minute behind. During a fight, the pain and wrath tugged at the fragile balance until it slipped one way or the other. After you lost that balance, then it was next to impossible to regain it - at best, you could direct the destruction at your enemies.

"The others doing alright?" Bardock asked as Tora's scouter picked up on an energy signature. A cluster of them in a wreckage of a building. He tossed an energy blast in its direction, killing all of those inside before he answered.

"The others are doing fine. Borgos still doesn't like his cloned arm, but I think he's just digging in his heels at this point. Fasha is flirting with Parslee, Shugesh is panicking a bit about that and is trying to do stupid crap to impress her." Tora answered, a smirking on his face. The idiot nearly lost his tail trying to impress her more than once.

"She still has no idea?" Bardock questioned, a laugh in his voice.

"None. Even Tarble noticed," and that was one of the weirder conversations he ever had in his life.

"If he doesn't tell her before we meet up again, then I will. He's been sitting on it for nearly a decade by now," Bardock decided, and Tora could practically see his friend shaking his head in disbelief. Then he sighed, and Tora knew what he was about to ask next. "How's Tarble?"

"You wouldn't even recognize him," Tora answered after a moment of pause. He spent the past year not recognizing Tarble. "He didn't just take a page out of your book, he stole the entire thing. And he doesn't spend weeks in the healing pods anymore." Which was the biggest change for their child leader.

For years, Tarble was this oddity that they only really saw on missions or training. He did what they told him to do, steadily proving himself to handle greater responsibilities as he grew stronger. Now, comparing him to his old self...it was more like the old Tarble had died and a clone with the same face but a different personality took his place. The difference was that apparent.

"Hm. Is he still teaching the others the Wrath State?" Bardock asked, prompting a small sigh because he knew where the conversation was heading.

"He is, but the others are too weak to be of any use. Seems like it's easier the stronger you are. I'm up to three minutes, and the others are around the same. Fasha is closer to four, though. But, the low-class are stuck in seconds, with Lotuce near a minute." Tora answered, knowing that Bardock was closer to eight. "Why?"

Bardock didn't answer for a moment, "because I haven't heard anything from Planet Vegeta in awhile. Have you?" Bardock asked, making Tora frown in thought. In all honesty, he barely thought of home at all, but, now that he thought about it, there hadn't been any news from Planet Vegeta in years. Which was odd since they traveled with the queen.

"No, nothing. Last I heard that the kids were out of the tank and King Vegeta was staying there, but that was years ago." Tora answered, frowning in thought as he continued his patrol. He picked up friendlies down below - what was left of the 501st. They were an alright lot, for aliens, he guessed. They had grit that made them stand out from other aliens in the army. Most likely earned through experience of Queen Teach throwing them at the enemy without any care for their lives.

"Same. I've been getting messages from Gine, but details are sparse about what's gone on back there. All I know is that Kakarot is having a hard time," Bardock explained. That didn't explain much because Kakarot was rather weak, all things considered. He might have earned the right to call himself a warrior, but it was more of because of the planet he conquered than his strength. "I think King Vegeta is censoring whatever information comes from Planet Vegeta."

That sounded likely, from the sound of it. Tora got more than a few messages from Gine and they could best be described as walls of text. "Why would he do that, though?" It seemed like a lot of work for no real gain. Not many saiyans cared about the state of Planet Vegeta.

"Dunno, but I don't like it. It means he's up to something," Bardock pointed out, and he was probably right.

"Does it matter, though?" Tora asked, shifting his flight path towards the HQ. "Even if he does something like brainwashing the kids to obey his every command, it's going to be over a decade before they're strong enough to be a challenge." The secret that Bardock discovered about gaining strength from watching Tarble fight saibamen years ago still remained a secret.

Some had noticed the same thing that Bardock had years ago - that there was a steady gain in strength after being beaten by a powerful enemy, but surviving the wounds. However, most of them died in the process. Healing pods were rare, only a handful of them sprinkled about the fleet and they were reserved for higher class saiyans.

"And by the time they do hit their prime, we're all likely to be elite-class," Tora pointed out. None of them had the explosive growth that Tarble did, but all of them had seen steady increases in their strength. In about twenty years, they would all be elite-class, that much was certain.

"Hm," Bardock hummed, agreeing with him, but Tora knew his friend well enough that he was still worried about the subject. "Unless this war drags on for long enough," he pointed out. "Just keep an ear out if the Queen says anything."

"Will do," Tora agreed easily enough, his own curiosity peaked. If King Vegeta was going through the effort to censor information, then it was clearly something big. The only thing that came to mind were the millions of kids that now roamed the planet. "What do you want me to do with Tarble?" He asked bluntly, knowing that the issue had to be brought up eventually.

"Just keep going as you are. Sounds like he finally grew a spine, so as long as he isin't making stupid calls, listen to him," Bardock answered, and he didn't fail to notice that Bardock didn't say about the biggest issue that Tarble's presence created. He was only going to grow stronger and they put it off for too long as it is.

"Don't try to recruit him," Bardock said after a moment. "And don't tell him about the coup. It's too late for that," he said, echoing thoughts that Tora had more than once. "I'm pretty sure that he would side with us, but there's that chance. Tarble's a weird kid, so we can't expect him to act like a normal saiyan."

"And," Bardock continued, "from what I've heard, Vegeta might push him to our side himself. Just continue as things are. Keep getting stronger for when the time does come."

"Right back at you," Tora shot back, getting a huff from Bardock. With that serving as a goodbye, the call ended so Bardock could reach out to one of the others while he could. All the while, Tora flew back to the HQ, aiming to the highest power level in the area, even in his base state.

It was a real hard pill to swallow that it was a kid that wasn't anywhere close to his first growth spurt. Tora found him on a lone hill that offered up a decent view of a ruined city, green grass and a greener ocean in the distance. He wasn't alone, but he wasn't training either.

Tora spotted the boy staring hard at a holovid for a long moment, the sheer amount of frustration on his face a warning to everyone to steer clear of him. Non-saiyans couldn't understand the Wrath State, but they knew that it was torturous. Which made it that much more terrifying that Tarble could remain completely calm in that state for days at a time. So, if his face was twisted in a grimace, it was a good sign to take off running.

"Play!" Elery, the daughter of Queen Teach, shouted before she launched a small energy blast at Tarble. Her hair was a shaggy mane of spikes, drifting just past her shoulders, with a single lock of hair that drifted downward towards her eyes, similar to Tarble's. She was smaller than Tarble - normally, she would be in a gestation tank for another three years, but for whatever reason, Queen Teach decided against it.

Tora didn't really know what to think of her yet. She seemed like a normal saiyan kid - aggressive, quick to laugh or cry, and demanded attention. Elery was born into the elite-class, and she still had years until she was the same size as a saiyan that got out of a gestation tank. So far, every kid that Queen Teach had was proving to be a freak of nature.

Tarble glanced up from the tablet, the attack washing over him like water. For a single, irrational second, Tora thought that Tarble was going to blast the kid, but instead, he let out a small sigh as he formed an energy ball in his hands about the size of his fist. Which didn't exactly disway his thought that Tarble was going to blast the kid if he was pissed enough to look pissed, only for him to drift the ball over to Elery slowly.

The girl lunged for it, flying up into the air as she chased it, laughing all the while. Tora watched with some amazement as Tarble led Elery on a chase as he turned his attention back to the tablet. Tora knew that Tarble was getting some lessons from the Old Man, but it caught him off guard how fine his control was. There were reasons why most attacks were straight shots - Tora knew from experience how difficult it was to change the direction of an attack after he launched it.

Yet, Tarble made it look effortless, the same as the Wrath State.

Tarble really was a terrifying kid. Not for the first time, he feared for the future. If there was ever a chance to tell him about the coup, then it had passed them by. Because now Tora wasn't sure who he would side with, and if he chose the royals then...then they would clash. And one of them would die.

As things were right now, Tora didn't even entertain the notion that it would be Tarble.

"Is something wrong?" Tarble asked, looking at him, though Tora was certain. That he hadn't given away his presence. He guessed that Tarble kept an eye on his scouter for threats. Not that there were any left.

"No, just here to report that my patrol was clear," Tora answered with a shake of his head. A question of if Queen Teach had mentioned anything about Planet Vegeta weighed on his tongue, but Tora didn't ask. Tarble nodded to himself, satisfied and unsurprised. "What are you working on? I haven't seen you that frustrated in a while," Tora pointed out.

Tarble opened his mouth to answer, only for an energy blast to hit him in the back of the head. Elery screeched with bubbly laughter up above, almost drowning out Tarble's sigh. Though, he still continued to lead the girl on a chase with the blue energy ball.

Once she was distracted enough, Tarble answered. "I'm studying biology," he said and, of all the things that Tora expected, that wasn't on the list.

"...Why would you do that?" Tora asked, bewildered. Tarble was weird by every definition of the word, but...studying…? "Wait, are you trying to create another technique?" He asked, recalling that he felt a similar disbelief when he caught Bardock studying Blitz waves.

"I am," Tarble said, sounding surprised that he had guessed right. Because of course, he was. It wasn't like Tarble had created enough techniques already. "I'm learning all kinds of stuff - like, did you know the Mitochondria is the powerhouse of a cell?"

Tora didn't. Mostly because he didn't know what a cell was.

"Why would you need to study biology? Unless...are you trying to make yourself grow taller?" Tora asked, making Tarble go still. It was obvious that, at least, the idea had occurred to him.

"No," Tarble said a tad too quickly. "And I'm trying to make a technique that heals people," he quickly continued, catching Tora off guard. "It'll act similar to the Power Ball, but instead of producing Blutz Waves, I'm trying to produce...healing waves?" He tried, frowning down at the tablet.

"You can do that with light waves?" Tora asked, his mind racing. He could see the utility. Now they could heal in the middle of a mission when they were away from a healing pod. It would be even more convenient than bio-foam, which served as a substitute.

Tarble nodded, "maybe. I'm trying to find a way to stimulate the body's natural healing rates, and the easiest way to do that would be exposing it to some kind of light wave since the base for it is already there with the Power Ball. So, I'm trying to study biology to figure out what exactly the technique would need to work." He explained with a small shrug before he frowned.

"Too many soldiers die before they can get medical attention. If this works, the life-threatening injuries can be treated in the field by tossing up a…Medicine Ball." Tarble said, and at the very least he seemed to understand how big of a game-changer that technique would be. Because, now, if used right, a Saiyan could heal himself in the middle of a fight.

Tora pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head - first the Wrath State, then this.

"Well, if it works, then I'm betting you'll get employee of the year again," Tora commented, getting a wide grin in response. It was a shockingly innocent smile, all things considered.

It really didn't belong on such a terrifying kid.

* * *

"Commence operation," Koter spoke, his voice grave as he interlocked his fingers, there was no one to hear his words except for six screens before him, all of them granting him a slightly different view of the same thing. A luxurious citadel that floated around a binary star system - a popular tourist destination in the past for the wealthy. Now it served as the capital for a petty warlord that had earned Frieza's favor for his cruelty.

More importantly, it served as a high-security prison for important prisoners for war to be tortured for information...or, in one case, for making an unfortunate remark about Frieza's height when King Cold had announced his retirement and introduced his successor. The Rus'gun heir had backed Cooler, the eldest brother, and tried to snub Frieza with a passive remark. Koter wondered if that remark was what triggered this entire war.

In response to his words, the scarabs took off towards the citadel. They were new models that just entered production - colored a dull red, the scarabs operated at a masked frequency that would allow them to go undetected by the scouters that the Frieza-force used. The first type of stealth-class scarab, known as the Wraith. A pun, since they were meant to be ghosts. The development team really did have too much time on their hands.

"Engage optic camouflage," Koter ordered, leaning forward as the scarab's reactive armor blended into the background. With it, they would be untraceable - their armor was cool, so they couldn't be picked up on thermal, and even motion detectors would be unable to notice the scarabs in stealth mode. "Activate phase shifting."

The scarabs slowed as they obeyed the order, continuing with that momentum and the screens blurred for a moment as they phased through the thick armored outer shell of the citadel. Once the blurriness cleared, the cameras revealed three different hallways - teams of two to complete three objectives. Without his need to say so, the scarabs began their task as Koter watched, the silence heavy, without even a gentle hum of the small shuttle ship he resided in.

One team progressed upwards, while the other two went down. The phasing tech wasn't perfect - strong electrical currents disrupted the mode enough that things would be left behind in what they phased through. Worse, energy blasts, both artificial and natural like those saiyans produced would interfere with it, so it couldn't be used in battle. For the most part, at least.

Team one made its way upwards, silently ascending up a set of stairs that overlooked the casino area. It was lavish by his own standards, almost to the point that it was sickening. Rare minerals used as decorations, exotic slave dancers, every type of gambling there was - from cards to fights, to machines, to races. It was a den of debauchery, the patrons drunk on their wealth.

Koter paid no mind to it as team one continued upwards, towards the VIP area while the other two teams continued downward. Team two broke off from team three - while the former made its way to the security center, team three continued down. Within a minute, all three teams were in position to begin the next phase of the plan.

"Team two, secure the command counsel," Koter ordered, the team of scarabs obeying instantly. They phased through the door, their arms shifting as they did so. There were over a dozen aliens manning the security, and all of them died within a split second. The room itself was covered in screens that cycled through feeds that covered the entirety of the citadel. The scarabs moved the bodies, the legs of their scarabs stretching down to hook themselves into the security center.

The scarab brought up two important video feeds while the other took command over the communications with a voice synthesizer. He had voice samples of everyone on the security team thanks to a greedy now deceased chief of security. The fool probably thought he wanted to rob the vault or something. One video feed displayed a reptilian alien - large, deep green scales covering its body, gills etched into its neck, hints of webbing between its fingers.

A common warlord. One of many that were sprinkled throughout the Trade Organization controlled territory. This warlord, however, was remarkable only because of a single connection that Koter wished to exploit. The Trade Organization was a massive conglomerate, millions of branches set up throughout the galaxy and they dabbled in every single market in existence - as powerful as Frieza was, he couldn't possibly run such an organization single-handedly.

There was a board of directors that answered directly to Frieza. Three hundred members in total - some were heads of certain branches, others were prominent figures in various markets, leaders of divisions and so on. Some were undeniably more important than others, but they were the ones that controlled the Trade Organization, and Frieza was the one that controlled them.

This petty warlord was being supported by a member of the board, used as a proxy to harass a rival. Rival managers of bordering sectors.

The second video feed was of a cell. Koter was no friend of the Rus'gun heir, but he felt nothing but pity for the captured heir. He was strapped into a chair, a medical machine keeping him alive, and it was cruel. Sections of his chitinous skin were removed, his faceplates peeled away, his body a fraction the weight it should be. It looked like he was tortured for a year because of the petty whims of a tyrant.

Frieza hadn't bothered to respond to the offers of randoms. Others thought it was because of the personal slight, but Koter knew better. Frieza didn't take the offers because he already intended to take everything that the Reach had.

"Teams one and three, proceed," Koter ordered as the teams headed towards their targets. Team two communicated patrol information provided access codes, and in no time both teams were nearing their targets.

Team one reached theirs first. Without any prompting on his behalf, they entered the room after team two deactivated the security measures. The warlord jerked in his chair, going towards the panic button, but it was too slow. The scarabs crossed the distance between them and grabbed the alien. It shouted petty threats that Koter didn't bother to listen to, only to be silenced as one scarab slapped a hand onto its face.

Nanites flooded the warlord, sliding around its eyes towards its brain. Some took residence inside of its eyes, serving as a camera that Koter would be able to access while the others condensed into a small chip. A mind-control device. A crude one, but effective. It wouldn't do for the long term because it was rather easy to discover, but it would more than suffice for what he needed it.

With a few keystrokes, Koter disturbed the warlord's short term memory, effectively erasing the past thirty seconds. All the while, the second scarab downloaded spyware into the warlords terminal, granting Koter access to all of the information within. His AI helper flagged several files, and he would look them over soon enough.

Then, with their mission completed, team one left the warlord alone, vanishing much like their namesakes. Through a new video feed, Koter watched the warlord stare blankly ahead for a few seconds, then realized that it was staring blankly ahead. It glanced around, blinking a few times before it returned to its work, completely unaware of what happened to it.

By that time, team three reached their target. Rus'gun was dead to the world, he barely seemed to notice as the scarabs cut through his bindings, spraying his wounds with a sealing solvent that would prevent any further damage as he was placed in a containment suit. His body was a mess of scars and disfigurements - they could be healed, but Koter doubted the mental scars would ever fade.

"Ventilate the room," Koter ordered, narrowing his eyes as the scarabs obeyed the order. The prisoners held captive didn't know anything too important, but after his latest blunder, Koter wasn't taking any chances about vital information leaking into enemy hands. Hundreds of captives suffocated as the air left the prison, the alert failing to get out because he was in control of the security.

And because he was in control of the security, the extraction was as flawless as the rest of the operation. All three teams made their way back to his shuttle without incident, boarding and taking Rus'gun to the medical bay. Koter breathed a sigh of relief, only take in a deep bracing breath for what came next. This was something that he had to do himself. Otherwise, he would have been content to let the Wraiths handle the entire operation or he would have sat back and watched without interfering at all.

"Ve'sk?" Rus'gun croaked as he entered the modest medical bay, a medical bot tending to his wounds. His eyes blinked at him, powerful drugs coursing through his veins. "You...you saved me…?"

"Of course I did. I couldn't allow a member of our species to suffer in Frieza's hands. I can only apologize that it took me this long to find you," that last part was the truth. Koter had assumed that the heir was dead. His family thought as much as well when their pleas for his release were answered with silence from the Frieza-force.

"You...you have...my thanks...I...I...I owe...a...great debt…" Rus'gun muttered, the drugs taking their toll as he drifted into blissful unconsciousness. Koter watched him sleep for a moment before his gaze drifted towards the medical bot. For a moment, he hesitated at the start of his own path. A path that would end with the destruction of the Ve'sk family and himself.

He underestimated what he would have to do to save the Reach Empire. The things Koter would have to do would be unforgivable, and like so many others before him, his family would fall until nothing remained of them.

"Do it," Koter spoke, watching as the machine thoughtlessly obeyed. A device was secured over Rus'gun's head, a device that began the long process of brainwashing the heir to the Rus'gun family. Physical means of mind control would be noticed when his family reconstructed his body, so he had to go with a far subtler method.

A simple command that he be susceptible to Koter's suggestions.

Because, for his plan to work, to save the Reach Empire, he couldn't afford to be tied down by petty ancient squabbles. And the only way to rise above them was to have the complete support of the families.

"I am sorry for this…" Koter spoke, though he knew there was no point. With this, he took the first step to the destruction of his own family. A risky gamble that would only succeed simply because it was so foolish and short-sighted that none of the families would suspect him of it for a moment. One day these sins would come to light, and the Reach will tear him to pieces. His family will fall, reduced to a footnote in the Reach's long history. But, so long as the Reach empire survived long enough that the Ve'sk name could be forgotten about, then that made it worth it.

"Hm...I suppose an apology does ring rather hollow when I'm planning to murder your parents," Koter muttered more to himself than to Run'gun. He sat down, compelled to watch. He couldn't afford to avert his gaze. He had to see firsthand what his orders would bring, so he would understand the gravitas of what he is doing...and what he will do.

It was impossible to defeat Frieza in force of arms.

However, it was possible to defeat the Trade Organization. One director at a time, he would bend them to his will until he could destroy the company itself...and, with each director under his thumb, a new opportunity appeared to assassinate Frieza.

After all, power does not mean invincibility.

* * *

Shayera Thal looked out at the depths of space, a thick plane of glass separating her certain death of the great void. Even still, she found it calming to look at - unlike most, the sheer nothingness that made up the majority of the galaxy was a comfort. Because, as hectic and as crazy as being a Thangarian cop proved to be, all of it was...so small. A fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent.

It was a reassurance that no matter how bad things got, the grander galaxy was better. Acts of science that could be called miracles, tales of heroism and self-sacrifice from billion of different races...it was a reassurance because no matter how vile the crime she witnessed, no matter how careless and callous of a people she encountered, she could tell herself that the galaxy itself was good. That no matter how it might feel like at times, the good guys outnumbered the bad, that justice will prevail, and heroes knew no gender or race.

"You're up early," Katar Hol spoke, announcing his presence behind her. Shayera glanced behind her to see her husband leaving their bed behind to approach her. They were married young, and they still were young, but she never grew tired of seeing him. He was a rare man that was more intimidating outside of his armor than in it - a few scars scatter about but did nothing to detract from his powerful muscles. His shoulders were broad, serving as an excellent perch for his grayish-white wings.

"Hm. I couldn't sleep," Shayera said with a small shrug as she turned her attention back to what laid on the other side of the pane of glass. However, she watched her love approach with his reflection. Katar pressed himself against her back, her wings shifting to allow for more contact with his skin. She savored his warmth, leaning into him and letting out a content sigh.

"Thinking about the war again?" He asked, his breath tickling her ear as her head rested on his shoulder. He was right on the mark because it was the war that weighed heavily on her mind.

And there was no mistaking which war Katar spoke about because there was only one war that the galaxy itself seemed to be watching with eagerness and fear.

"The Frieza-force has been expanding towards our tributaries. It's not going to be long before we share a border, and do you really think that Frieza won't attack?" She asked a question that weighed heavily on her mind, even during their recent deployment down on a potential client state planet called Earth. Though, from what she saw in the past year, Earth might not need their guarantee of independence. Every day, it seemed more unique characters crawled out of every nook and cranny - from Kryptonians to speedsters, to Amazonians and so on.

They already had a new Green Lantern overseeing the sector that was a human. So, as far as a race's first steps into the galactic stage, the earthlings took a strong step forward.

"Frieza has his hands full with the Reach. It might be centuries before that war ends. He's a...what's that saying...a vulture. He picks off weaker races and primitives because they're easy targets. He'd be a fool to challenge Thangar's might when he already has his hands full with the Reach." Katar refuted, his voice soothing.

Even still, his words didn't lessen the worry.

"He destroyed a planet with a gesture. I don't think he thinks much of Thangar's might," Shayera pointed out, letting out a soft sigh. Frieza had struck fear into people's hearts with his display of power, and now, a year later, there had been nothing from the frost demon. No trail of destroyed planets, nor did he single-handedly end the war by cutting bloody swaths into the Reach. He simply resumed what he was doing for the war - subduing and enslaving planets in the name of the Trade Organization.

Then, as if to prove her right, a ship jumped into view. A saucer based ship - marking it as a Frieza-force ship. Shayera flinched at its sudden appearance, the moment that she and her husband shared lost as Katar noticed the ship as well. Immediately, they exploded into action, shrugging on their armor and weapons in moments, rushing to the cockpit of their cruiser vessel.

"Their weapons are hot," Katar pointed out, taking control of the ship as she took command of the cruiser's weapons defense. "Hailing them now," he said as Shayera prepped their weapons, shields and double-checked that their point defense was ready for battle. The Frieza-force responded by another dozen ships jumping into the system. So they were outnumbered. Great.

"This is the Katar Hol of the Thanagarian elite special forces-" Katar started to hail them again, giving her a perfect shot at the ship that served as a flagship. He was interrupted when the enemy accepted the connection, a blue-skinned alien that almost appeared to be Thangarian appeared on the main screen.

Despite him clearly taking aggressive measures, Shayera took one look at the man and felt her heart swell with pity. He looked like he never had a single night's rest in his entire life - his expression was set in a grimace, anger simmering in his eyes but it was overshadowed by defeat.

"For the crime of attempt of theft from Prince Tarble of Planet Vegeta, you are to immediately surrender to Trade Organization custody by order of Lord Frieza himself," the alien spoke as if he were reading from a script. What he said made Shayera recoil in shock - the order came from Frieza himself? She and the empire knew that Prince Tarble was the technical owner of the planet, but given that he's done nothing with it and he was a minor threat at best, it was decided that the empire could take the planet from him with little consequence.

Somehow, Shayera didn't think that the noble class expected that Frieza himself would get involved. Because now things got a lot more complicated. They weren't trying to sweep a planet from a minor barbaric alien that would use the human population as cannon fodder, something that this Prince Tarble wouldn't be able to stop even if he wanted to...but now Frieza was involved and that made things a lot more complicated.

"Theft?! You dare accuse us of theft?" Katar snarled, his face twisting into a ferocious glare.

"The planet of Earth is the personal property of Prince Tarble," the alien clarified. "As the Thangarian empire has insisted on turning Earth into a client state, the Thanagarian empire as a whole is being held responsible for this gross injustice. So, please surrender now into our custody where you will be given a fair trial by Prince Tarble."

Shayera scoffed, her eyes narrowed into slits as her mind raced. "A roundabout way to say the Trade Organization seeks a diplomatic incident," she shot back. It didn't have to lead to a war, but Frieza could use this to extort confessions from the Thanagarian empire. And it was obvious what he would ask for - to revoke guarantees, to transfer vassalage, to weaken the empire.

Worse, they would have a leg to stand on legally. Shayera hadn't known that Earth was the direct property of anyone directly, but the Thanagarian empire had known Earth was in Trade Organization controlled space. However, it was so far out there that the noble class figured that the Trade Organization wouldn't notice if they uplifted a race to take control of the sector before making the long play of vassalizing them.

"I take it that you won't surrender?" The alien deflected, his gaze narrowing. "We will use force to ensure your cooperation," he threatened. Meaning that Frieza wanted them as hostages under the pretext that they were the ones that discovered Earth and acted as liaisons between Earth and the Thanagarian empire.

"We refuse," Katar answered, ending the transmission. He turned to her, his face grim. They were facing bad odds, but it was hardly the first time. Shayera nodded at him, supporting his decision before she turned her attention to the weapons system as an alert appeared that the Frieza-force were firing on them. Trusting Katar to fly the ship, Shayera took aim and fired.

Their space cruiser was hardly an ideal fighter - it had weapons and powerful shields to fend off criminals that would try to rescue their leaders after they were captured. Tornado missiles fired out as Shayera fired off light-reflecting gas at strategic locations, giving Katar cover to work with. A dozen enemy ships broke off into groups of four, the missiles she fired tracking one group as she lined up a shot with the main gun.

A blast of yellow light punched through the hull of a ship like it wasn't even there. A commonly known fact about the Frieza-force - for all of their wealth, their armies were outfitted with outdated crap. No personal shields, weak weaponry - the only thing decent that they had was their one size fits all armor and scouters.

"Nice shot, honey," Katar cheered for her, making her smirk despite the situation.

"Honey?" She asked, firing, lining up another shot as the hurricane missiles continued to chase the enemy ships. Their rapid spinning made it difficult for point defense systems to shoot them down, and even if they did manage to, it wouldn't set off a chain reaction. With their slow ships, it was only a matter of time before the missiles caught up with them. All the while, the other ships returned fire - Katar deftly avoided lasers, using the cover she gave him masterfully while offering her shots to whittle down the enemy numbers.

"Heard it back on Earth. Do you like it?" Katar asked, forced to accept a blow but the shields absorbed the worst of it. Shayera fired another set of hurricane missiles, locking on to the same group that the first set tracked. They broke off, slitting up, and Shayera made them pay for it. Missiles slammed into them, their formation broke up, and with another shot, she took down one group.

"Hm. I do," Shayera admitted, lining up another shot. They were still outnumbered, but the odds were a lot better now. There was a reason why Frieza-force fleets had to outnumber the enemy ten to one. Perhaps with a less experienced crew that didn't thrive in these odds, maybe things would be more dier. "But if you're going to call me honey, then I'm calling you hubby in public."

Their flirting helped distract her from her spiraling thoughts as she took out another ship, their hulls unable to stand up to their main gun. It was overkill on most ships, but on Frieza-force ships, one-shot punched through them with enough force that she hit another one with the same shot.

In the end, the remaining Frieza-force ship made a hasty retreat when only four of them remained, so as far as battles went, it was rather anticlimactic. Shayera watched them flee, leaving behind only wreckage behind. The battle might have been won, but it tasted bitter in her mouth.

Because, in the end, Frieza got what he wanted. A diplomatic incident.

Now, all she could hope was that this didn't lead to a war.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	31. Touch of Familiarity

Something was wrong. I felt it deep in my gut, the sense that something just wasn't quite right. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, though - their HQ wasn't under attack, my scouter wasn't picking up any enemy signatures, and there weren't any sounds of battle. There was no reason for the unsettling feeling that I felt, but by now, I learned to trust my gut over stuff like logic. So, something was wrong. It was only a question of what.

I reached out with my sixth sense, searching for a hint - I found it within a moment. My range with the sense wasn't very large, I could cover a city, but that was about it. Which made it that much more apparent that something was up when I noticed hundreds of familiar ki signatures gathered up in one location.

Frowning to myself, I walked towards the gathering. The HQ was lightly defended, only a skeleton crew as the rest of the army swept over the planet. We had already broken the back of the Garrison, now it was simply a case of waiting to see where the remnants grouped up at. After all, it was infinitely simpler to take them all out at once rather than spend the next few months clearing out pockets.

Or, rather, that was the logic I told Mom and she agreed.

The broken road led me towards the main building of the HQ. We set up just outside of a major city, but the deeper we delved into the Reach territory, the more developed the planets became. Now, the only hints of nature were designed parks that would produce enough oxygen to make the air breathable. Well, until the Reach filled the atmosphere with poisonous gas.

Buildings were leveled to be replaced with pre-built structures. Using capsule tech, we were able to transport buildings and their contents with ease, so rather than repurposing structures or building from scratch, we just packed up the base when we left the planet. The capsules themselves were becoming increasingly common - larger versions were needed for bigger and heavier things, but for smaller stuff like rations, supplies and so on, each soldier got a capsule to help them carry it all.

This, naturally, led to a lot of people losing their food, weapons armor, and personal items, but that was a whole separate problem. Still, it was convenient and a lot easier to carry even more supplies.

I saw aliens walking about, following their patrols. As I walked by, they stopped, snapping salutes that I returned. After two years, I still wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not, but no one had said anything about it, and after two years, I was in too deep to stop at this point. Continuing on my way, I pushed open the front door, and I heard...cheering…

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. I know that we had a moment of respite, but you can only afford to be so lax on an enemy planet. What if a soldier had taken out the energy shield that surrounded the base? I bet none of them would have noticed until they were dead. I should talk to Mom about setting up a training exercise to teach them not to let their guard down, much less cheering to the point that I could hear them all the way down the hall.

Walking down it was a familiar face - Technician. His elongated face covered in deep gray skin, which made his beady black eyes stand out that much more. His eyes, in turn, made his wide mouth seem even larger, especially when two slits marked his nose. And, apparently, that actually was his name, I learned some time ago.

His species, the Gun-gorians, didn't have names. Instead, they were called by their job title, only distinguished by certain pronunciations to indicate skill and rank. Even better, Technician was technically a promotion for him, so he didn't mind me calling him the wrong name originally.

"Prince Tarble, how are your studies coming?" He asked, his tone pleasant while his lips twitched upwards. I scratched the back of my head before I gave a small shrug.

"About as well as they can, I guess," I admitted. I was forced to study several subjects, some in pursuit of techniques, and others to sure up weaknesses, but the only subject that I had a teacher in was tech stuff. And, to be blunt, even with his help a lot of the bleeding edge science went right over my head. "I think I should drop a subject or something. I'm not where I need to be in biology-"

"A true saiyan never admits defeat," Technician said, earning a blink out of me. I gave him an odd look, think was a little odd, and saw that his lips were fighting to curl upwards into a smile. That was...weird, but he wasn't wrong, I guess.

"I...you're right. I was thinking about giving up on math, but it's so interconnected to other subjects," I admitted. Especially stuff like technology, and fields of science. I wanted to double down on biology, to perfect the technique I've been working on for the past year and a half then refocus on other subjects, but that was just an excuse for me being lazy.

The crowd of people laughed uproariously at something, the sound coming from the mess hall. I glanced past Technician, looking at the source, wondering what was going on. What was so funny?

"If you're in need of assistance, I can look into learning aids. I know a true Saiyan relies on no one but himself and his own power, but studying advanced topics from scratch will prove a challenging if worthy foe without them." Technician said, his lips winning the fight and curling upwards. That...was all technically true, but why was he saying it like that? And why was he smiling like that?

"...sure…" I said, narrowing my eyes in suspicion as the 501st collectively laughed down the hall. I looked down at the doors that would open up the mess hall for a long moment. "Do you know what they're laughing about? I didn't miss a meeting, or anything, did I?" I asked, looking back at Technician, just in time to see his smirk blossom into a wide smile.

"Ahh...I think it is something you had best see for yourself, Prince Tarble," Technician said, not exactly easing my worries. If anything, his words caused red flags to go up and wave madly. I gave a slow nod, my eyes narrowed into slits as I walked forward, Technician falling in step behind me, failing to completely suppress his chuckles. It only took a few moments for me to close the distance, even with my short legs.

Bracing myself for what I was about to see, a sinking suspicion settled in my gut before I pushed the door open. I was hit with a wall of noise - four thousand people laughing in unison, their backs turned to me to face...me…

If you could call that mockery of an invitation that was displayed on the far wall as a hologram. The entire wall was an artistic rendition of a familiar setting, but the main character on the screen sure wasn't. I barely recognized myself, and it was only barely because it was a highly detailed animation. My eyes were covered with a blood-red visor that stretched from my forehead to my nose. The single lock of hair that drifted in front of my eyes was pronounced to comical levels. It was almost as hilariously bad as the cape that I was wearing.

The fake me trembled, his fists clenched as he glared up at the sky. A Champion scarab flew up above, exaggeratedly evil as it cackled in the background, mocking me. "Foolish saiyans, you can never hope to match the power of the Reach empire!"

The fake me coughed, struggling to his feet as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "you really believe an attack like that could defeat me?" He returned, his voice full of confidence. Then the narration kicked in. That was really close. Maybe he's right...maybe there is no hope-

No! I am a saiyan warrior! Everyone is counting on me! If I fail here then everyone will die! I will win! I have to!

Okay. That was...eerily accurate. I recognized the moment the show was portraying, even if it was animated and butchered. The fake me had a few scuffs, but no blood or wounds that had nearly killed me. Now I'm starting to worry that someone had read my mind, or something, during that moment.

But...that couldn't be the case. There was no pale woman or man with an aura of shimmering red.

"I can't fall here. You say the Reach empire can never be defeated? I beg to differ," animated me gasped out-

"DESTROY HIM!" I heard a voice that I recognized scream at the top of her lungs, and immediately it was followed by the entire room laughing. I suppose that explained what the 501st was laughing about - they were reacting to Elery's reaction to the...whatever that was.

I walked forward, sticking to the back of the room, as my animated version cupped his hands to his side, one of my techniques forming. Down the main walkway between the hundreds of tables needed to sit around half of the 501st, I saw her back. She wore older model armor, leaving her tail free to dart around in excitement. Her shaggy mane of hair was flowed down in thick spikes similar to Mom's, while she was even smaller than me. It was obvious even though she was standing so far away.

I guess it was to be expected as my counterpart kept screaming - not even to prepare his attack, but screaming to power up and the scarab let him, for some reason. Normally, Elery would be in a gestation tank for the next three years, but Mom decided against it. I don't remember the exact reason, mostly because she had nearly killed us all when she gave birth while we were en route to our next destination. Regardless, going by normal standards, Elery had another year and a half before she would be considered just born.

"Pathetic!" The Champion shouted, readying its blaster. Memories played of that fight just under two years ago. It felt wrong, in a way, to see Leek portrayed like this, even if that scarab really hadn't been him. It was all too easy to recall what their final words had been - a thank you as he nearly cut me in two. "You, a mere saiyan, think he can challenge the might of the Reach alone?!"

"DESTROY HIM! RIP HIM APART! RIP AND TEAR!" And, if it wasn't obvious by now, Elery took after Mom.

Fake me coughed, the light growing brighter. "Alone?" He said and I knew what was coming next. I felt deep in my bones and I wanted the ground to swallow me up so I wouldn't have to witness what came next. "No...but I'm not alone...everyone's hopes are driving me forward. I'm not alone in this fight. Everyone below, they're with me in spirit - right now, you're fighting the entire 501st!"

That didn't even make sense.

"Spiral...Buster!" Fake me shouted launching the attack and the Champion's face twisted into one of absolute shock right before the attack washed over him. Which it wouldn't do because- my thoughts were interrupted when the mess hall erupted in cheering, Elery the loudest of them all as she jumped up and down, basking in my victory, no matter how badly they screwed up the details. Seriously, it was like no one knew the difference between a Kamehameha and a Spiral Buster.

"What is this?" I asked with a quiet sigh, rubbing my eyes as overwhelming exhaustion overcame me. "Didn't they already make a movie about this?"

"This is launching a new holo-vid series aimed towards young adults and children. From what I read about the pilot, it seems they're following your story since your birth." Technician sounded way too amused for his own good. "It seems that the previous movie sold a tad too well." Given the sheer number of ads I had seen for it when I figured out what the extronet was, it had better sold well. They were everywhere. Enough so that the second thing I learned how to do with the extronet was to download an adblocker.

"So...propaganda?" I guessed, glancing at Technician to see that he nodded. I was getting a handle on how other species thought. Sort of. Well, it was mostly how blatant it was, and I knew this would feed into Lord Frieza's ultimate plan of making me the face of the saiyan race. "Well...that's...something," I said after a long moment.

I'm guessing they were going to use our mission reports for reference. Though, if it was aimed at kids, I'm not sure how they're going to gloss over the whole...genocide, thing. I couldn't even guess how many I had killed over the years beyond that it was a lot. Something like that wasn't exactly family-friendly, but I guess that was the Trade Organizations problem.

"H-how is this possible?!" The fallen Champion scarab shouted, his tone filled with shock. His armor was battered, an arm missing but for some reason, the scarab didn't cap over the wound and make a new one with nanites.

Fake me breathed heavily, a triumphant smile tugging at his lips. "When will you scarabs learn that you can never underestimate a Saiyan warrior? With the support of my friends, nothing is impossible. Until every planet has been liberated from your tyrannical rule, heroes like me shall never be defeated!"

...I...I don't even…

"YEAAAAAAAHHHH!" Elery shouted with triumph as if it was her own victory. She threw her hands into the air, craning her head back as she let lose a triumphant war cry. Naturally, that prompted everyone else to do their own. A great big cheer echoed throughout the mess hall, through the building until I'm certain that it echoed until it bounced off the energy some.

As if she could sense my amusement and embarrassment, Elery turned around to look right at me. A great big megawatt smile was plastered on her face, her eyes lit up. Pivoting, her grin became sharper in nature as she launched herself at me, racing down the way as she flew past hundreds of soldiers, leaving momentary confusion in her wake that confusion turned to fear as the 501st seemed to collectively realize I was in the room at the same time.

I caught Elery's punch with ease, a loud smack echoing out over the suddenly very silent mess hall. Her grin only grew as a leg whipped around, trying to kick the side of my head. I threw up a forearm, blocking the blow, easily seeing what she was trying to do, but decided to let it play out. Her smile became absolutely ferocious, eerily similar to Mom's, before she launched a fist at my face, certain that I couldn't block this one.

I absolutely could, but I decided to lean my head out of the way instead. Elery's eyes widened to comical levels, unable to conceive that her attack wouldn't land. Still, like a true saiyan, she didn't let one failure stop her. She lashed out again, only for me to dodge again, then she tried to knee me in the face. At that, I let go of her arm and leg, granting more options to attack me with.

She flipped away from me, landing for a brief moment before she sent a flying knee at my face. I blocked it, staying where I was, and doing the same with another kick with ease. Her expression grew more and more frustrated, her attacks coming faster until I made her pay for her recklessness. As I blocked a punch to the face, I guided her arm away, hooking a hand around her wrist, then pulling her arm back. To avoid having her arm dislocated, Elery pulled back, letting me guide her so that I pinned her arm to her back before I grabbed the base of her tail.

"Ughhhhh…" Elery groaned, going limp. "I...almost had you that time…" she decided, muttering darkly as I let her go, chuckling lightly.

"Almost," I agreed before I turned my attention to the 501st. They all flinched as one when my gaze landed on them, those that could sweat were doing so profusely. "Oh, don't mind me. Enjoy yourselves. While you still can," I added with some reluctance. I understood that not every race enjoyed fighting as much as saiyans did, and this was a rare break for them. Why they wanted to spend it watching that trash was beyond me. Especially when this movie and the last one butchered the details of what we went through.

"Yes sir!" They shouted as one, relieved that I wasn't going to dish out any punishments for annoying me. Or killing anyone, I added mentally, my gaze glossing over a new face in the 501st.

Because, in the end, they were soldiers and soldiers died in war. Over the years, members of the 501st steadily were chipped away, their spots filled by replacements. Of the original four thousand that had escaped Rench, only about two thousand remained. I did what I could, shouldering the hardest of problems, but, in the end, war was a meat grinder. The 501st had the lowest casualty rate several times over, but I couldn't shake the suspicion that in another few years, only a handful of the original 501st would remain.

"Let...go…!" Elery, never one to give up, weakly punched my ribs. I obeyed, letting go of her tail. And, naturally, as soon as I did, she launched a knee at my chin. I sighed, catching it with a hand as I smirked.

"You're feisty today," I commented as I gently pushed Elery away, sending her out of the mess hall so the others could enjoy themselves without having to worry about me looking over their shoulders. Technician followed me, so he likely had something to say, but was waiting until Elery gave me a break.

She answered me by throwing herself back at me with a pugnacious determination, "yeah! Prince Tarble is so strong and awesome! I can't wait to beat up scarabs - do you think I could go with you next time?" The complement caught me off guard, almost enough for her to kick me in the stomach as I continued out of the building.

"Prince Tarble is strong, huh?" I asked, preening a little bit. I knew compared to some members of the Ginyu force and people like Lord Frieza, I was nothing in comparison, but it was nice to hear anyway.

"Yeah," Elery said, giving up on attacking me to gush about me. "He beat up so many vanguard and champion scarabs, and all of his attacks are so 'wahhhh!" She mimicked my Spiral Buster, thrusting her hands out. Technician chuckled as her stance shifted, a Destructo Disk forming in her hands with some concentration.

And, of course, she launched it at me. I continued forward, holding up a hand and catching the disk of ki. For her age, it was a powerful technique, but it still broke against my palm, the shape shattering as it washed over me before fading from view. Elery puffed out her cheeks, clearly expecting her sneak attack to do some damage.

"If you want, I can start teaching you how to do it," I offered, continuing to walk forward. Elery blinked at me, tilting her head to the side, an uncomprehending expression on her face.

"Learn what?" She asked, earning a look from me.

"The Spiral Buster?" I asked, already knowing what she was about to say next. Her eyes bugged out, her jaw-dropping - she looked like I just offered to fly into the sky and bring her one of the suns this planet orbited.

"You know the Spiral Buster?!" She shouted, her voice full of disbelief. Technician sounded like he was choking on his laughter, and I hoped it killed him. What else was I expecting? "But that's the Low-Class Hero's secret technique!" I'm going to muder whoever produced that show. I've killed a lot of people during this war, but I don't think I've murdered anyone yet, but I'd happily do it if the producer was standing in front of me.

"No, that's my technique," I clarified, making Elery scoff, not even entertaining the notion. "And I'm Prince Tarble, you know. That's me. It's my technique. You can ask the rest of the team." But, Elery couldn't be swayed it seemed because she sent me a disbelieving look.

"You're not Prince Tarble, the Low-Class Hero! He has a really awesome mask and a cape, and he's super strong!" She pointed out with the stubbornness of those that were certain they were right were capable of. Technician sounded like he might actually die from his laughter, and no matter how hard he coughed, he couldn't disguise it.

"...So, if I'm not Prince Tarble, then who am I?" I know she was only a year and a half old...well, technically speaking, she was still a year and a half away from having her 'birthday', but...seriously?

"You're my brother," Elery pointed out. And, you know what? Fair enough. That got a smile out of me as we continued walking, Technician still in step behind us, letting us enjoy the moment. Or, me rather, because Elery still looked put out that she hadn't managed to put a scratch on me. I guess I've been giving her too many opportunities during our spars. Her getting cocky could get her killed.

She hadn't fought on the front lines yet, nor had she seen her first battle, but it was only a matter of time. Elery was born into the elite-class, even though she was still over a year from the cut off mark. At the end of the three years in the gestation tank, I had a power level of sixteen. Elrey had a power level of three hundred already. If anything, she was closer to Vegeta than the average saiyan warrior.

But, as of now, she would need the Wrath State to battle against scarabs. There were disturbingly few in this sector because the Reach had all but pulled out of it. We broke their back, and now it was only a matter of time before we moved towards another shield world. If I had to guess which one we would be hitting by the end of the year...of the three that we could, my bet was on Antinople. Though, we still had some time before that.

I looked at Elery, who was now ranting about how awesome Prince Tarble was and tried to picture her using the Wrath State. She would have to learn it sooner or later, that was just how it was, but this early? No, there wasn't a point. Even my team and the other saiyans that had managed to survive so far still hadn't mastered it and they were much stronger than her.

An idea lurked in the back of my head as we continued to walk aimlessly - Elery listing off every virtue Prince Tarble had, the fact that he was super strong was mentioned more than once, and he had a bunch of really awesome techniques as well. An idea I had been sitting on, unable to make progress with it simply because I had other techniques to work on and there wasn't a pressing need. But, if Elery was going to fight on the front lines with me eventually, then I would need to create a way for her to get used to the Wrath State rather than drop her into it headfirst.

"Ah," Technician said, looking up. "It seems those reinforcements have arrived. Finally," he added. I nodded in agreement, looking up to see a saucer transport ship floating down towards our landing area. Further beyond a teal-colored sky was our fleet positioned up above, sending down orbital bombardments to shake up whatever was left on the planet in terms of resistance.

"Hm. Hopefully, my request for more saiyans went through," I muttered more to myself than the others. I said hopefully simply because it wasn't a given at this point.

"I'm not certain which ones the other forces could spare," Technician commented, earning a frown out of me because he was right. I hadn't noticed it because I spent most of my time with saiyans, and Mom had the most since she was our queen, but saiyans were starting to become a rarity outside of this army.

No, they weren't starting to become one - they were a rarity. Our population cap had been three thousand when the war began, but...a lot of that was made up by the low-class. After six years of war...as much as we might enjoy it, it wasn't like we always won. Our numbers had been chipped away. I didn't know the exact number, but it was starting to look like what was in this army was just about it.

Which was scary considering that there were only about twenty saiyans in the entire army, myself included. There were a few other sprinkled about - a few mid-class generals, and we had put in a request and it wasn't rejected on the grounds that there were no other saiyans, but outside of the mid-class...it was starting to look like the fifteen or so low-class saiyans were all that was left.

"We should go check on the others," I decided, knowing that they were training. They were always training.

"Are we going to see the old man?" Elery asked, looking up at me. I know I shouldn't enjoy it as much as I did, but it really was nice having someone look up at me for a change. Then I remembered I was six years away from my first growth spurt. Another six years of being eye level with people's knees…

"Yeah, we're going to see Matillo-" I answered with a nod. Elery's face lit up, grabbing my armor as she flew upwards. To my surprise, Elery grabbed Technician by his sleeve as well. He sputtered as she yanked both of us up. I quickly started flying as well, letting Technician hold onto me to keep himself stable as we rushed across the HQ.

The energy shield stretched a lot further than necessary. It was a matter of convenience - since the air outside was filled with poison, Mom didn't want the training area to have its own shield since she would have to put on a mask, then take it off a few seconds later. Because of that, I could see the fight happening in the distance. They didn't use their techniques since the risk of breaking the shield was too great, but I saw two figures darting about.

They clashed above the smoldering wreckage of a suburb - to Technician and Elery, I knew that they would be little more than blurs. I could follow their movements rather easily, letting me see that it was Fasha and Mom that were sparing.

I felt their presences, like a tug in my mind. They were burning brightly, powerful as they struggled to master the Wrath State. Mom was dominating the fight, forcing Fasha on the defensive as her fists flew in an unending barrage that Fasha blocked or evaded. The strain was visible on both of their faces - veins bulging, jaw clenched, their eyes blazing yellow that radiated intensity.

Mom planted a foot in Fasha's stomach, sending her flying to the ground like a speeding bullet. She slammed into the ground, shaking the planet as dirt and concrete flew upwards in a cloud. Mom threw her head back and roared in triumph, and it was really clear where Elery got that habit from.

"Mom!" Elery announced our presence, letting go of Technician, making him squawk as he held on for dear life. Taking pity on him, I formed a disk made out of ki and placed it underneath his feet.

"Thank you...could...you make it bigger? I...I don't like heights," Technician admitted, crouching down and holding onto the disk like a lifeline. Fighting off a smile, I did as he asked-

"My babies!" Mom shouted, burying me into her chest right alongside Elery, who tried to escape, but it was no use for her. Judging from the lack of a scream between every word, she wasn't in the Wrath State. It would be a simple task of breaking free, but I didn't. While I savored the crushing embrace, I reached out, trying to find the others.

Matillo and Lotuce were fighting their own match, and Fasha seemed to have recovered already. Borgos, Tora, and Shugesh were nowhere to be found, though, and I knew Parslee was out herding the resistance. Perhaps one day, my awareness would stretch over the entire planet that I happened to be on, but my range wasn't anywhere close to that yet.

"I figured I should check in on all of your progress," I informed Mom, prompting her to let us go. Elery gasped for breath dramatically while I glanced down to where Matillo and Lotuce were fighting. Matillo was leading her along, focusing more on increasing her time in the Wrath State than growing stronger.

"The others wimped out," Mom explained when she caught me watching the match. "Tora gathered up the others to go harass the Reach so they were at least doing something. Lotuce is the only one of them with any spine." She commented, sparing me a glance. "So, at least, she deserves to learn the Wrath State."

I nodded, watching as Lotuce visibly struggled with the pain and rage. "Still, even if they're only gaining seconds at a time, that's still something," I pointed out. Two years later, and no one had mastered the Wrath State. And it wasn't for a lack of effort. They just couldn't push away the pain and rage like I could.

"Hm. I guess it doesn't matter too much at the moment," Mom agreed before laughing as Elery launched a flying knee to her jaw that she caught effortlessly. "Most fights don't last longer than a few minutes. And, as much as I hate it, having one or two others to offer a distraction while I catch my breath is pretty useful."

Which is why it wasn't a priority to create a lesser version until now. At our level of strength now, vanguards weren't too much of a challenge. Fights with them lasted barely a fraction of their timers.

"But that only works until you end up in a fight for hours," I pointed out-

"Like Prince Tarble! Did you know he fought the entire Reach by himself for six days?!" Elery pitched in, pausing her assault to gush. Mom sent a glance my way, which I could only shrug at. I don't think she would believe me even if I shoved overwhelming evidence that I was Prince Tarble in her face.

"Is that so?" Mom said, turning her attention back to Elery, her gaze softening a fraction. "Well then, if you want to do the same as him, you better start training then!" That was the only warning Elery got before Mom jabbed at her, forcing Elery to block. They wore matching grins as they drifted off. I watched them for a moment, Mom pulled her punches, but if Elery had a hole in her defenses then she paid for it with bruises.

"Ummm…" Technician began, looking at me pleadingly. I nodded, lowering us to the ground while I watched them spar. As soon as we touched down, Technician continued. "There were two saiyans in the reinforcements," he informed me, gesturing to his tablet as proof. I looked at it, seeing two saiyan names that I didn't recognize.

I fell silent for a moment before handing back the tablet, "it's better than nothing, I guess."

"Your race...isn't nearing extinction, is it?" Technician asked, sounding like he wasn't sure how to phrase the question.

I shook my head, "no, we have another generation back on Planet Vegeta. Millions, but I don't know when they'll be joining the Frieza-force. So, right now...there's probably about forty saiyans left active." With the Wrath State, we could hit a lot harder than the majority of the Frieza-force, so just forty was too small of a number. "I guess going oozaru made a lot of us too big of a target."

My lips pressed together into a thin line, "but it's going to be about twenty years before that generation hits their final growth spurt. They'll need the Wrath State just to keep up. I'll have to expand the team system…" I mused, trying to prepare for a problem that was soon to come. Early on, I based the system on how the others fought when they could only manage the Wrath State for a few short seconds.

One would fight and the others would act as support until the one fighting couldn't handle the Wrath State anymore.

"I'm certain you will think of something," Technician said, sounding like he meant it. However, then he brought the table back to my attention. "And it seems that...your agent has arrived on the planet as well-"

"We need to leave," I said, thinking that this must be what my ominous feeling was about. My...agent...person. She was here. On this planet. I couldn't just block her calls anymore...was this my punishment for not killing those that annoyed me? I bet Vegeta or Bardock didn't have to put up with stuff like this. I bet their agents were too scared of them to follow them halfway across the galaxy-

"Prince Tarble!" I heard someone shout, a voice I recognized, despite only hearing it for snippets of a time before I hung up. My gaze zeroed in on her as she entered my range - Her skin was a dark purple, her features were saiyan like, but her eyes were a solid black, as was her hair that was carefully styled to make it look like she just rolled out of bed.

For nearly my entire life, I've only ever seen people wear Frieza-force armor and undersuits. My...agent...wore...something. I'm not entirely certain that it could be called clothing. Her collar fanned out, large enough that it would prevent her from looking over her shoulder. More puzzling were the large gaps in coverage around her sides - that was asking to get shot there. It didn't even look like she had a protective shield or anything.

Her build was slender, her odd clothing flowing down into some kind of...thing that encased her legs - she wouldn't be able to kick without tearing it. Even more confusing, there was another layer of cloth that was all ripply that was cut at an angle that didn't seem to serve any purpose. At the very least, the club-like shoes she wore were tapered with a high heel that could be used to shove into a Reach soldier's eye.

"My prince," she greeted me, bowing slightly as she floated in midair with the aid of her shoes. "I'm so very glad to finally meet you in person. Communication on the front lines can be so unreliable," she said...did...she not know that I was hanging up on her? Either way, it was an excuse, so I nodded along, going with it. "Because of it, we have so much work to do! Your numbers had lulled for a time, but with the release of Frieza-force Heroes, they've hit even higher marks than-"

She started talking but it would be a flat out lie to say that I understood a single word of it. I looked at Technician, hoping he had an excuse to bail me out of...whatever this was. He gave me a small shrug, leaving me to suffer through this. I really should be more like Vegeta and Bardock - they would be so scary that their agent would flee for the hills.

But… "I'm going to be honest," I interrupted her mid-sentence. "I don't really care about any of this. My priority is winning the war." I stated, having learned that blunt honesty tends to work best. Aliens had a habit of talking around subjects that seemed rather pointless. Why not just be direct?

"Naturally," my agent agreed easily, sounding like she had a retort prepared. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she did. "Just by seeing you, our soldiers' morale shall rise. Oh, you do need a catchphrase - the development team had something in mind...what was it...ah! 'Have no fear, for I am here!'" She said, lowering her voice an octave before looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

I shook my head, "no, I mean I'm not going to do pointless things when my men are dying." At that, her pleased look fell. "This is a war. Thousands are dying at this moment all across the planet. Do you think I would be okay doing a photoshoot, or whatever when my team could be fighting for their lives?"

Because this was war. The meat grinder never stopped. Not on this planet, and not on the thousands we were invading. This moment of peace between my family was only going to last a moment. Tora and the others would return, then it would be my turn to thinning out the Reach as we herded them into one final pocket to be crushed.

"So, unless you can tell me whatever you want me to do is more important than my soldiers' lives, then I'm not doing it unless Lord Frieza himself gives the order. That's just how it is," I continued. Her expression was neutral for a moment before she gave a very controlled nod. It was rather obvious that wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she knew better than to argue the point.

"Would you be amenable to more passive ways to increase your marketability?" I don't even know what marketability was but I could tell that I didn't like it. "You could wear a cape-" she quickly switched tracks when I grimaced at that. I tried to fight with a cape for a bit, and it just got in the way. "Or, would you consent to wearing a scouter similar to the one in your show Frieza-force Heroes?"

She saw that I was on the fence, wanting to reject it simply because I didn't see the point of it. "This war could last generations," she said, her tone serious. "Frieza-force Heroes is a show geared towards young adults and children - when they watch it, they could grow up with you, Prince Tarble, the leader of the Hero-force, as their personal hero. The show is based on you. On your life. Of all the challenges that you managed to overcome despite every odd."

A second passed as she paused for effect, "except it's not just a show. You're not just a character in a holo-vid. You're real. Your exploits are real. We want them to look at you and think you're the person that they grew up watching that saved the day and won, no matter the odds. And all you have to do is wear a visor to convince them." She finished, delivering a powerful point.

I was going to regret this. I felt it in my bones.

"Fine."

It felt like I just took my first step on a slippery slope and all I could do is hope that I didn't fall.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	32. Loss of Touch

My scouter was ridiculous. I looked ridiculous. It covered the upper half of my face, including my nose, leaving only a small portion of my forehead near my hairline visible. My lock of hair that drifted downward seemed to separate the blood-red visor that hid my eyes from view, both of my ears were covered now, which I didn't like.

But, as stupid as I looked, it was completely worth it to see Elery's dumbfounded expression. She was carrying a mountain of food on a small plate, it shattered when her arms went limp, dropping a slab of meat that was halfway to her mouth. My lips twitched upwards as Elery just gaped at me, her jaw slack as she simply stared with naked disbelief. I knew my next line but took a moment to work up the will to say them.

I'm still on the fence about murdering the producer, but the lines...they didn't exactly help their case.

"Prince Tarble of the Hero-force is here!" I announced myself, planting my hands on my hips, puffing out my chest. At least I didn't have to do poses. I've seen images of Bardock with the Ginyu-squad, and he might be smiling on the outside but I knew him well enough to know he was dying on the inside. I waited for a reaction to my proclamation, but Elery simply stared at me dumbfounded.

And she kept staring.

And kept staring.

And kept staring.

I think I might have broken her.

"See?" I said, letting a smirk tug at my lips. "I told you I'm Prince Tarble. Believe me yet?" I questioned, my hands falling from my hips. Elery gave me a slow blink as if she was processing what I had just said. I saw the exact millisecond that it clicked into place that I was Prince Tarble leader of the...Hero...force…

However, instead of breaking out into a wide smile, maybe gushing how awesome it was that I was the character that she liked on that awful animated show...instead, she frowned. Then her face twists like she was about to cry. Then, instead of crying, her face became a fierce scowl. The transition took place within a second, giving me some warning about what was coming next.

"You tricked me!" Elery cried, launching herself at me. Frustrated tears gathered in her eyes as she tried to uppercut me, only to try to plant a knee in my groin when I caught it. "I thought Prince Tarble was really here!" I swear…

I heard a snort behind me. I didn't even need to know his presence to know that it was Tora. Letting out a small sigh, I turned around to look at him, effortlessly blocking Elery's barrage of attacks. Which probably wasn't helping with stopping her being mad at me. "How did everything go?"

Tora shrugged his shoulders, stepping into Saiyan only kitchen. It was by the other aliens' request and my race were too happy to oblige. After all, it meant more food for us, and the aliens didn't have to see body parts in the fridge. A win-win scenario if I ever saw one. "No issues of any kind. Another day, and we'll be mopping them up," he reported, eying a slab of meat resting on the top of the mountain that Elery had dropped. She didn't even notice as he snagged it before taking a seat on a counter, looking too amused for his own good. "What's with the scouter?"

"He used it to trick me!" Elery informed, trying to bring an axe kick onto my head before lashing out with her other foot to kick me in the face. She was improving. Her gaps were a lot smaller when she attacked, and she was becoming creative with her angles of attack. Her biggest issue was that she was too aggressive - I could stand here all day and she would never even consider backing off or trying anything different.

"They want me to play a cartoon version of myself-"

"You aren't Prince Tarble! You're too mean!" Elery spat, trying to sweep my legs. I allowed the action, but I spun quickly enough that I was back on my feet before she could even think about seizing the opportunity.

"So they gave me a special scouter. I had Technician add some stuff to it since it has a lot more space," I said. As an example, I pressed the general scan button, making an unseen wave erupt from my scouter. The room became a grid pattern - chairs, tables, and everything in between were marked in low detail as the scan stretched outwards. It continued down the hall, marking doors and before long, the vast majority of the HQ building was mapped out.

Pressing a button, a hologram of the map appeared, rendering what the scouter was able to race. Looking at Tora, I saw him nod in appreciation. "That'll be useful for finding their tunnels," he pointed out my main reason for getting the upgrade. The Reach had taken to building underground defenses because our scouters couldn't read them. Which made them the perfect hiding place for surprise scarabs behind your lines.

"I thought so. I'm going to have more made and sprinkle them out throughout our forces so they can stop getting ambushed," I said. "It can't penetrate thick walls, or piles of rubble yet, but Technician is working on including x-ray vision, which will help."

Elery's face twisted, looking like she was about to cry. I could guess why. "You can have one too," I told her before she could either cry or continue her barrage of attacks with renewed vigor. She paused, her leg smacking against my hand that caught a foot trying to plant itself into my stomach. "Would you like one like mine?"

"No!" Elery refused forcefully, frowning as she gave the question an abnormal amount of thought. Her face twisted into one of extreme concentration, and not even Tora choking on a laugh could break her from her thoughts. And Elery hated being laughed at. "I...want a blue one- no!" She quickly corrected, "I want a green one."

I nodded in acceptance as Elery seemed satisfied with her choice. "I'll put in an order, and he'll have in a couple of-"

"I'm going to go get it now," Elery decided before she blasted off out of the kitchen. I watched her leave, knowing exactly where she was headed.

"Technician?" I started, "Elery is incoming. She wants a scouter like mine." I informed, hearing the tech-savy alien suck in a sharp breath.

"I'll get started immediately," he answered with the kind of urgency that only belonged to those who knew their life was on the line. Not that it was...hm.

"Shugesh?" I switched channels, feeling his presence nearby to Technicians. "Could you go make sure Elery doesn't kill Technician? She's going to get a scouter and he might not have it ready." Shugesh got the message, understanding that Elery would lash out in frustration like she normally did. Only Technician wasn't strong enough to weather her blows.

I didn't want Elery to go through what I did. I didn't want her to realize her strength by accidentally killing someone. And I especially didn't want it to be Technician that she killed.

"Sure thing, little boss," Shugesh agreed, his presence taking off towards Technician's. He would beat Elery there. Good. I heard Tora let out a light laugh, drawing my attention back to him. The question on my mind must have shown because he gave a small shrug before he answered.

"You're finally getting used to ordering people around," he pointed out. I frowned at that, mulling it over for a moment as Shugesh beat Elery there because she got lost. Eventually, I nodded because it wasn't wrong.

I guess there was some truth to the saying 'fake it until you make it.'

"It started to feel normal, I guess," I admitted with a small shrug as I went about picking up the fallen meat and broken crystal.

"So what's next for us?" Tora asked, knowing that this campaign was drawing to a close. It was a question that was on my mind a lot recently.

"A shield world," I answered, putting the meat back in the freezer. Tora stiffened, surprised, and that prompted me to explain. "We're mopping up what's left in this sector, but it's busywork that others can handle. We still have them on the back foot, but I want to keep them there. We push in far enough, the other fronts will feel the strain."

In the past two years, our front has made the most advancement. A great deal of it was because Lord Frieza opened the way for us, but the fall of Rench also helped. They lost a significant portion of their military might at Sereall, and without Rench, they had a hard time outfitting the troops that they had. They did the best they could, but, in the end, the past two years felt like busy work leading up to the next big push.

"The other fronts are stalling out. The one on the opposite side of us is still bashing their head against the first shield world and the ones around it haven't fallen either. That entire chain of them is holding up the Cooler-force. If we break into their inner core worlds, then they'll divert forces to tie us up and slow our advance. That could give them a chance to push." I said, thinking aloud.

"Hm. I heard that the Cooler front is a meat grinder," Tora said, borrowing from one of my phrases. "Both sides," he said, chewing thoughtfully. "Bardock did some work over there to help move things along, but some Reach alien is starting to push them back. He also said it was like Cooler has no interest in advancing the line."

I nodded, having heard much the same from the previous team leader. Not to mention that if Lord Cooler had any interest in advancing, then he could always do what Lord Frieza did. I figured there had to be a reason why he was dragging his feet. It was either that, or that front was unlike anything that we had seen so far in the past six years.

Which could be possible. This front could be the knife in the back that killed the Reach. If we advanced fast enough then we could reach their core worlds, seize them, then from there it would be a matter of cleaning up what was left. It could still be years, but taking the core worlds was the key to making the Reach collapse.

"But, it would be nice to get employee of the year again for the squad," Tora mused, throwing his arms back as he chewed on the bone.

I let out a huff of laughter, "not sure if Bardock can survive that. Captain Ginyu is getting pretty desperate to earn it. Did you hear how he took out two high ranking members of the Reach government deep in Reach territory?" Somehow, they managed to slip by their FTL blockers and everything else. There were reasons why war had never touched their inner core worlds and it was because they were next to impossible to get to. Jammers, barriers, and so on. The Reach had them all. "Apparently they were related to that Reach alien we had captured.

"Yeah, I figured we were going to lose it that year, but I guess dozens of planets are worth more than two heads," Tora agreed, angling his head back as the bone was slowly crushed underneath his teeth before he swallowed what was left. "Have you heard from him recently?"

I shook my head as I took a seat on the counter, idly aware how Elery started darting around some distance away. "No, not in a couple of months. Last I heard, he was going back deep into Reach territory for something. Probably to hit their industrial centers," I answered. They were the Reach's biggest weakness and their greatest strength. Their armies were massive, and their equipment specialized and it needed maintenance. And replacement.

And the moment they couldn't get maintenance or replacement, then the Reach armies fell apart. Even disturbing them was well worth the effort, and if anyone could hit their biggest production planets then it was the Ginyu squad.

Tora nodded, scratching at his chin in thought. "Hm. I know Queen Teach has been itching for the next big fight, but I don't think we'll be able to take a shield world with what we have right now." He was right about that much. Shield worlds were designed to hold up entire armies and fleets, we wouldn't be able to do it alone. Then Tora's eyes narrowed, "you have a plan," he accused.

I offered a small shrug, "more of an idea," I admitted. "The 501st will be put back up to full strength soon enough, and that'll give us some options. And if we link up with the main force, then that'll give us more. Don't want to make any promises until I know what I'm working with," I said, earning an amused huff of laughter from Tora.

"Good luck convincing those cowards to do anything," he said with a scoff, his tone full of scorn and it wasn't wholly undeserved. Our army, under the command of Mom, were the ones pushing the line. For every ten planets we took alone, the main force took two and those were the leftovers that Mom passed over because she didn't think there would be a decent fight.

"We might be able to pull something if they think they're getting something out of it," I nodded. I never noticed it before I was in charge of the 501st, but there was some serious feet dragging throughout the Freiza-force. "It can't be helped though. A lot of them are slave-soldiers that don't like fighting. Not everyone enjoys war as much as we do."

Tora shrugged, conceding the point. Just in time too because Elery was flying down the hallway at breakneck speeds. Turning around, I saw her appear at the door, her deep green visor matching mine in appearance and half of her face being covered couldn't hide the sheer joy she shot out of every pore as she sent me a wide smile.

"Pretend like you need help," she ordered before grabbing the door and slamming it close hard enough that it broke. I blinked once, glancing over at Tora, to see him shrug again.

"Ahhh. Help me?" I tried, my voice flat. In response, Elery grabbed the door and flung it to the side, thoroughly running the doorway as she leapt into the room with a megawatt smile that could light up any room.

"Have no fear, for I am here!" She announced, planting her hands on her hips much like the animated version of myself. There was a moment of stunned silence before it was broken by Tora letting out a snort of laughter. Elery snapped her attention to him, that megawatt smile transforming into a pout as Tora started laughing in earnest. "Hey, don't laugh at me! If you do, I won't save you. Ever!" She warned and that just made Tora laugh that much harder.

"You were really heroic, Elery," I placated her with a small smile. Taking a step forward, I patted her on the top of the head, a much gentler version of what the others did to me a couple of years ago. She preened under the praise, beaming happily before she turned to Tora to make a face at him.

Before I could remind her not to pick fights that she wouldn't win, my scouter flared to life as a familiar voice spoke. "Prince Tarble?" Avery's voice filtered through, sounds of explosions echoing out in the distance. "We're ready for the hammer, sir."

And just like that, the good cheer evaporated from my body. Elery seemed to notice the change when I paused rubbing her head, making her growl in annoyance before she grabbed my hand to manually force me to continue. I nodded to myself, feeling myself shift gears from enjoying the moment to going off to war.

"I'm on my way," I told him before ending the call, taking my hand away from Elery. She looked like she was about to argue, but she stopped herself, surprisingly. "I'll be back in a bit, okay?" I said, offering her a weak grin before I walked by her.

"Okay…" Elery agreed, letting the topic drop. I waved over my shoulder at Tora, neither of us said goodbye since I would be back soon enough, exactly as I said. Flying out of the HQ, I secured my mask onto my face - this one was larger than the others. It covered the bottom half of my face, going up to cover my ears and locked into my scouter.

The Reach killed the planet's ecosystem by releasing toxic poison into the atmosphere, and evidence of it could be seen wherever there was plant life. A spongy fungus that acted as grass was dried up and lumpy, a dark brown while the mushroom trees were withered husks. If it got inside it would kill. Now, it was more common for soldiers to die if they got hit, their suit burned through and exposing the wound to the elements.

Flying up, I punched through the energy barrier to expose me to the elements. In the past few years, even our armor was forced to change. The skintight undersuit stretched from my toes all the way to the tip of my fingers, the armor covered more places as well. The skirtlike thigh guards were gone in favor of armor directly covering my legs and arms.

"Maybe I should invent a technique to restore planets?" I muttered, blasting off in the direction of the massive pocket of enemies we spent the past week creating. The surface of the planet looked dead. Greenery was dried out and brown, wind storms tore everything up and when it rained, the water was a powerful acid that could eat away at metal if it was exposed long enough.

One day, perhaps, but not today. The list of techniques I was creating was miles long at the point because now I had ideas of what we needed. It would take me years to create them all.

I let out a small huff of grim laughter as I blasted through a dust storm that ravaged the ruins of a once sprawling metropolis. "I guess I'll save that when it looks like I won't get employee of the year," I said as I drew upon the power of the oozaru, familiar pain flooding my body but after two years, it was almost normal for me.

I managed to snag it from the Ginyu squad for the past two years, and I wanted that trend to continue. If only because I expected it of myself - Bardock managed it for ten years, and I was going to do the same. At least.

With power coursing through me, I surged forward through the storm. It was a massive one - there was a desert biome on this planet and it was like every grain of sand was in the process of swirling through the air to relocate. Even still, I could still see lights flashing on the horizon as I rapidly approached the pocket.

In the end, it was like herding animals. The soldiers were the fence that kept them from going a certain way, while my team and I were the ones that pushed them in the direction that we wanted them to go. From miles back, I could clearly see where our defensive lines were set up - our soldiers were entrenched, artillery bombarding the wreckage of a city while thousands of drones circled above the city.

The Reach, by now, realized what position they were in. They realized it days ago and they hadn't stopped trying to break out of the pocket since. What was left of the city was filled with flashes of light, of plasma, lasers, and fire. Smoke poured upwards as the Reach forces tried to encroach on our defensive lines - with the sandstorm still tearing through the area, it looked like a hellscape.

My scouter pinged Avery down below, so I headed down behind him. The capsule tech really was being used for everything. A line of bunkers made of heat resistant plaster were set up around the pocket, enclosing it and pushing back any that darted to push forward. A new gun turret was set up - balls of electricity firing forward, the arcs of it connecting them together so they had a much higher chance to hit. When they did, it was like the balls were snapped together, entering the target before killing it.

Avery was in a forward base overlooking a hologram that roughly outlined enemy positions. He looked up just in time for a bit of glass from all the plasma hitting sand, only for it to not do any damage. A yellowish hue flared up around him for a moment, but other than that he was fine. An energy shield that I had the entirety of the 501st outfitted with.

"We have them where we want them," he informed, telling me that everything had gone to plan. I nodded, glancing out at the city for a moment. Times like these it was really hard to separate presences. In the end, they all lumped together, and only a few stood out. I could feel Matillo's presence inside of the city, preventing them from breaking out of the pocket.

"Any issues?" I asked, floating back upwards, trying to find Matillo with my eyes. It was easy enough to spot him. Ki swirled around his hands as he blasted through a scout class scarab, laying waste to a tank division that was trying to push through the rubble covered streets.

"None. Casualties have been minimal, and we dropped a ground shaker to collapse any nearby tunnels. They're as cut off as we can make them," he answered, giving me a grim nod.

"Then I'm up," I decided, flying upwards. As I did so, I noticed that the few forces that we did have in the city begin to pull out. Matillo flew towards me, abandoning the area until the only things left were the drones fighting above the city. Matillo barely looked winded, even as a vein throbbed in his forehead, his eyes blazing yellow.

"My prince," he said, dropping the Wrath State as soon as he was able to. I nodded at him as I looked down at the city. I opened my mouth, only for my scouter to interrupt me. A voice that was becoming irritatingly familiar.

"Prince Tarble, could you perhaps offer them a chance to surrender? We have them surrounded, surely they must understand their position? It would be a good look when we can confirm it that you chose to show mercy when you didn't have to," Ada'la spoke up as I soared upwards, overlooking the city.

"No point," I answered as I formed a ki ball that rapidly grew in size. I heard her suck in a sharp breath in response.

"Are...are you going to take prisoners?" She asked as the ball of ki swelled above me. I took a moment to think about that question - not how I would answer it, but the question itself. Two years ago, I would have hesitated. I would have thought about it. I would have searched for a way to make the Reach forces surrender.

But...that was two years ago.

"No," I answered shortly before I let the ki ball fall. It drifted down, tearing through whatever stood in its way before it exploded when it hit the ground. The explosion started small, a small one that started in the center of the city that began to expand in every direction. Block by block, it expanded outward, claiming buildings and whatever it happened to touch. Wind battered me, forcing Matillo to grab my shoulder to balance himself. As ridiculous as the scouter was, at the very least it made it easy to stare into the pale blue light below.

The pocket was a massive one. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and with a single move, that number shot straight down. I didn't get all of them. I couldn't when the defensive line was so close. Couldn't risk friendly fire.

"Impressive as always, my prince," Matillo commented. I could hear Ada'la breathing on the other end of the scouter, the call hadn't ended.

I thought about what I should say for a brief moment, something to make her understand what she had asked me to do was stupid and pointless. Instead, I simply ended the ca with a tap of my finger, turning to Matillo. "Clean up?" I asked, earning a nod from him as we drifted downward.

The explosion cleared the storm that raged, dust still hanging heavy in the air, but the crater below was impossible to miss. The city was gone, replaced with a hole in the ground. Only the fringes remained, and they suffered greatly even if they weren't outright destroyed. The silence was deafening - a mere moment ago, the sounds of war echoed out so loudly that they shook the planet. Now it was just quiet.

We touched down, glancing at each other before we traded a nod. After two years, we didn't need to talk about what came next. It became a routine, almost. We pushed the Reach armies into pockets then one of us would drop a ki bomb on them. Between me and the others, we hard countered their vanguard scarabs, and we hadn't seen a champion since Rench.

I reached out, feeling presences that were trying to recover from the powerful blast. My scouter picked them up as well - I found working with both helped a great deal because my ki sensing couldn't pick up on scarabs, and ki sense helped pick up on things that my scouter missed. Walking over, I blasted through the entrance of a collapsed building, going to the basement and saw what I was sensing.

Soldiers barely had time to react before I slaughtered them. From building to building, seizing the opportunity, and they died in droves. No quarter was given because there was none to give. It was quick, efficient, and effective. Within minutes, what was left of the military on this planet was washed away, leaving up completely and utterly victorious.

Just like we had been for dozens of worlds. The victory wasn't hard-fought. It wasn't climatic. It was routine.

"The army is moving it to secure everything, but I'm not picking anything up on the scanners. The planet is ours," Avery said as I flew upwards. My gaze lingered on my handiwork for a moment. I used to just stare at it, marveling at the power that I had. Nearly my entire life, I was weak, and now I felt strong.

"I'll leave you to it," I said, flying upwards, Matillo in my wake. "I'm heading back to the HQ." I had a promise to keep with Elery, after all. We traveled in silence until we reached the HQ, and the first person that I saw was Ada'la. She waved at us, gesturing us to come down, and against my better judgment, I did. Flying down, we landed in front of her to see that she was pinching the hem of her second skirt flap thing, her expression hesitant.

"If you have something you want to say, then say it," I said, walking by her to enter the building. She clearly wanted to say something, otherwise, she wouldn't have flagged me down. My words seemed to be the kick that she needed because she nodded.

"I...understand it that no prisoners are taken?" She asked, sounding like she was risking her life by asking the question. I slowed to a stop, glancing at her with some confusion - not over her tone, but the observation itself.

"The Reach armies don't surrender," I informed bluntly, an edge of bewilderment creeping into my tone. How did she not know that?

"But-"

"But nothing," I interrupted, but not harshly. "The Reach specializes in mind control - do you think it would be a good idea to let capture them then incorporate them into the Frieza-force? Have...have you just not heard the stories?" I asked, feeling compelled to. It was something that I never really encountered before. I was a warrior. I grew up surrounded by warriors and soldiers.

And Ada'la wasn't either of those things.

Ada'la stared at me for a moment, her plucked eyebrows drawing together as she slowly shook her head, "I haven't...are...things really that bad?" She asked, making me pause for a moment, the fact that she didn't know was just...I don't even know. I guess it made sense that Lord Frieza wouldn't want news spreading about the disasters we have suffered by integrating Reach aliens from their core worlds.

"They're worse," I answered curtly. I wasn't a soldier going through the motions anymore. I was a commander. Because of that, I saw just how brutal this war was becoming to aliens that weren't blessed with a Saiyan's drive to fight and abilities.

"It just seems...so...is there really no better way?" She asked, the question sounding like a genuine one. Two years ago, I asked myself that same question. Now I was the leader of the 501st, in charge of thousands of soldiers. Mom was the general, and if I pitched it to her right, then I could have done something about it.

However, I didn't have to think about the answer.

"There isn't," I said, entering the HQ, heading towards the command center. I could feel Mom's presence up there, likely making plans for our next destination, and it was time to make my pitch for what target we hit next. I searched for that better way for a time, only to give up when I realized that it was costing lives on my side.

The aliens that the Reach conquered were conditioned to the point that they were zealots. They acted as sleeper agents. I heard of entire fleets simply vanishing in an ambush because of those sleeper agents feeding the Reach information. For every one of them that I chose not to kill, I could be risking hundreds of thousands of lives. And, no matter how I looked at it, that wasn't worth the risk.

Ada'la fell silent at that as we made our way to the command center, and we were greeted by a ki blast busting down the bulkhead door. For a split second, I thought we were under attack, only once the smoke cleared, I saw that wasn't the case. Mom stood in front of a hologram, her posture was absolutely furious similar to how she acted in the Wrath State.

The hologram was of King Vegeta, his face impassive as he sat on his throne. He stared down at Mom, his face unchanging in the past six years it's been since I've seen him. He didn't seem to notice me as he let out a soft sigh and spoke to Mom.

"Be here," he spoke those two words, then his hologram vanished without a trace.

"Who in the hell does he think he is, ordering me around when he's been sitting on his ass for half a decade?!" Mom snarled, kicking the projector, reducing it to torn metal and sparking wires. The command center wasn't empty either, but the dozen or so aliens that worked in the room pretended like they couldn't hear anything, simply looking down at their screens and hoping they weren't next.

I hesitated at the doorway, "Mom?" I started, making Mom go very still. She let out a harsh breath, turning around to throw on the fakest smile that I've ever seen in my life.

"Tarble…" She started, a sigh escaping her as her shoulders slumped and said the very last thing I ever expected her to.

"Looks like we're going back to Planet Vegeta."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	33. Informationals 3 and Omakes

**Informational about the Reach Empire**

The Reach Empire started from a single moon revolving around a desolate planet unable to support life due to high tectonic activity caused by a meteor strike that nearly destroyed the planet entirely. The moon itself was once a part of the planet, a piece of the landscape that was blasted into orbit from the impact, and luck would have it that the microorganisms that on it were able to survive in space until the moon developed its own atmosphere. Go forward hundreds of millions of years, that small moon now supported basic life.

The Reach species grew to dominate the moon but quickly realized that it didn't have the resources to support a large population. This, in turn, gave way to a rigid society where everything is controlled - from the population to the living arrangement, to food with high focus on recycling and avoiding wastefulness. As their society progressed, their natural inclination was to further maximize their meager resources and find a way to one day be able to support a higher population. It would take thousands of years, but they discovered their answer - the planet, rich in resources, but unsuitable.

For the Reach Empire, the space age began early. To those in charge, it was increasingly obvious that with their small population, they were one disaster away from extinction, and channeled all resources into reaching the planet. The act itself nearly doomed the Reach species, but it was a hail mary that worked - they reached the planet and were able to ferry back resources. Time would pass before they learned to tame that planet as well, turning it into the homeworld dominated by the Reach species and none other. And, in time, they turned their eyes to the stars above.

That is the origin for the Reach species.

Their society has both moved on from that rigid society and further embraced it. The Reach empire has a high bar that is expected of all Reach empire citizens, and failure to meet that expectation is punished severely. This stems from how their society developed on the moon, and they carry this attitude towards all those that they meet. Which, in turn, made diplomacy rather difficult. For the lower classes, the citizens of the Reach, there is no advancement. Each is a cog in the machine that is the Reach empire and all are expected to do their part.

That expectation for everyone in the Reach empire to be model citizens without fault is expected of everyone, including those at the top.

Likewise, power congregates where power is. The families that ruled over the Reach species in its infancy, turning it into from a simple race into a spacefaring one within a handful of generations by sheer force of will, they remained in power. Over time, their influence naturally grew until they became a dominating force in the empire where their removal was out of the question.

Their species is one marked by the ambition to be more than they are and this extends beyond scientific advancement. As those in power grew more powerful, those without began to covet it. Families that were indentured to the families that changed the course of their species and began to plot. Just as those in power looked at one another and plotted against each other. However, it was the fact that they were restrained by this ideal of what a Reach citizen should be and keenly aware of the necessity of being perceived as the ideal, this lead to the highly plotting nature of the Reach's elite classes.

Grudges became something that couldn't be acted upon within a lifetime, else others would perceive them as vengeful, thus unReach-like. This lead parents to pass on theirs, keeping a book of grudges of every slight made by their enemies and allies, and ensuring that their children would act where they were forced to bear it. And their children, in turn, would add to the book, crossing grudges out where they could, but unable to empty it. As each generation passed, the lists grew longer and longer and longer until it evolved into a highly political race intent on exacting vengeance for past wrongs but unable to do so because of their society's constraints.

This has led to the modern-day Reach empire, where every word and action is measured both to give a slight or to repay a favor. Or to create one or the other.

* * *

**Canon Omake by GhostofZen**

On Planet Vegeta

Akchoy peeked his head out the door, glancing down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. After a few moments he nodded to himself and ducked back inside.

"No sign of the Caretakers." He told the rest as they settled down around the Holovid. With the huge number of charges to take care of it was easy for a small group to slip away without being noticed. Not even the large number of slaves King Vegeta had brought in to take care of the 3 million new Saiyans was enough to watch over the large group. Still, if too many slipped away at once a caretaker would figure it out and come to collect them.

"Great!" Kassava said with a wide grin. "It's about to start."

Ten Saiyan children settled down around the Holovid as it quietly began to play. Anticipation building as music began to play. They had to bite their lips to keep from cheering as Prince Tarble, the Low-Class Hero, charged onto the screen followed by his loyal soldiers of the 501st . Gangal actually slipped up and let out a whoop when the title flashed above the heroes in the opening credits. All the children glanced at the door, worried that the caretakers somehow heard the noise and were coming to investigate. Luckily, they remained undisturbed.

As the show began to play there was a quiet gasp as a Champion scarab took center screen. Its intimidating figure froze in a still shot as its power level was displayed onscreen. Vocado let out a worried whisper as he looked on. "It's stronger than Tarble." The others around him gave a grim nod as they watched their hero square off against an impossibly stronger opponent.

Fists clenched as the fight began. The urge to shout words of encouragement warring with the need to be quiet. If the caretakers caught them then they wouldn't get to see how the Low-Class Hero managed to beat this opponent. And if they didn't see how he one, how could they tell everyone else. They might not even be allowed to be the ones to sneak away again like Noppal's group when they were caught. Never again would they see with their own eyes how Prince Tarble overcame his opponent, only hearing second hand from others that could complete this important mission.

Tension was on the rise as the Champion scarab seemed to dominate the fight. Kassave and Gangal locking hands tightly as they struggled to keep quiet while their hero fought his impossibly strong opponent. Sunchock was on the edge of her seat, tail twitching erratically, as she mimed punches and her legs twitched like she was throwing kicks fighting alongside her hero. Akchoy was straining his ears, not just to hear the quietly playing show, but to listen for the telltale sound of footsteps in the hallway while the rest were captivated by the fight.

As the fight came to its conclusion with Prince Tarble unleashing his signature Spiral Buster, Sunchock let out a loud cheer that prompted five off the others to pounce on her covering her mouth. Everyone fell silent as they listened carefully. And hearts fell as footsteps began echoing down the hall.

Frozen in place, desperately trying to will the oncoming footsteps away, hearts sank lower as the door opened. They silently watched as a Low-Class warrior by the name of Kakarot came in. He looked at them, looked at the closing credits playing on the Holovid, then nodded to himself.

"You were working on your fighting techniques in here, and you're going to tell me about them later right?" Kakarot said with a smile as relief filled the children. A round of nods caused the Low-Class warrior's smile to widen. "The caretakers are going to be checking on the others soon. You should probably get back to your rooms. And remember, you need to tell me about your training later."

The kids hurriedly turned off the Holovid and darted past the warrior as they started making their way back to the dormitories. Soft whispers passed back and forth about the fight and the great hero as they snuck back to where they slept. They only wished they could see what happened in the next episode themselves, but others wanted to see Prince Tarble fights for themselves. Plus, if the same group kept slipping away the adults usually caught on.

No matter, they just saw the best fight of the series so far. And they couldn't wait to see or hear what came next.

* * *

**DC timeline**

The Dawn of Heroes has just started. Clark Kent has just become Superman, Batman has been active for about a year at this point, Wonder Woman has left seclusion after the second world war, Hal Jordan has just become a Green Lantern. I'm fiddling with the exact timeline with Sinestro, but not by much. As for the hawks, they stumbled across Earth about a year ago and were stationed there to facilitate that the Thangarian empire is filled with swell people and the Earth should totally accept vassalization. The Justice League is not a thing, and they haven't fought off a threat significant enough that makes it clear that the heavy hitters of Earth are heavy hitters.

* * *

**Late game plans for Darkseid**

It's going to be a long time away, but I want Darkseid to be scary in this fic. I want the moment he makes an entrance for the first time to be a 'oh shit, everything's fucked and we're all dead' moment. Darkseid, as a character, represents a lot of scary stuff, but the main issue with him is that his lows far outweigh his highs. Worse, they're more memorable. So, it can be hard to treat him as the threat he deserves to be treated as when there are just so many instances of him getting smacked down by someone or another.

I'm not set on where he would be in terms of strength yet, but there are aways around it. For an example - Late game Tarble is throwing down with Darkseid for one reason or another. It's a hard-fought battle, Tarble has used every trick up his sleeve, he's pulled every miracle out of his ass, and he beaten, bloodied, on death's door from a fight that will be remembered for the rest of time. But he's done it. The corpse of Darksied lays at his feet. He's killed the God of Tyranny.

Then he hears clapping behind him. He turns around and there stand Darkseid, unharmed.

Moments like that are where Darkseid is at his strongest and that's how I would portray his character.

* * *

**Tarble's mentality and how it's changed. **

Like others have said, Tarble has had his memories scrambled by the tank. However, the biggest part of it is that Tarble has been fighting almost nonstop in a brutal war and his mentality is starting to reflect that. Before Sereall, Tarble just went through the motions. He fought because that's what people told him to do and if he failed then his team would die. Now he's a commander with thousands serving under him, and he understands that his fuckups are going to cost people their lives.

So, Tarble's mentality has become very soldier-like. Stuff like marketability was unheard of to Tarble in the first place, but now it's been forgotten because it serves no purpose. The agent is going to be a civilians point of view about the war to highlight just how bad it's gotten because Tarble been desensitized and saiyans can't exactly fill that role well.

* * *

**Elery's age and Prince Tarble the Low-Class Hero**

Elery is super young - like about two years old. She's more developed mentally than a human would be, closer to a five year old but development doesn't mean intelligence. There's enough evidence to convince her that Tarble and Prince Tarble are two different people - the mask and visor, the manner of speach, and the fact that she hasn't seen Tarble go all out so he's 'pretty strong' while Prince Tarble the Low-Class Prince is 'super strong.'

* * *

**Tarble's Going Native bar**

The SI part has always been tenuous, and the human aspects of him have largely been chipped away. They were most prevalent at the beginning of the story when it was a constant tug of war between his human mentality and his saiyan reality. Now things have settled and Tarble leans far more heavily into being a saiyan than human. There are still some aspects left over, and some of them are going to come up during this arc, but I would say that Tarble's going native progress bar is around 85% filled at this point.

The only things holding him back is he hasn't massacred civilians, his strong desire for family, his value for other alien life and his comrades, and his desire to be loved by those that he loves.

However, there's also a sense of duality there because Tarble is in the spotlight. He's being pushed as what a saiyan should be and, what's more, he leads by example. Tarble has largely accepted those human aspects of himself, that weirdness has been noticed by the old guard of saiyans, but it's also going to be noticed by the next generations of saiyans.

* * *

**Tarble's show and whose watching it**

It is, but it's not as popular. Think of the Trade Organization as Amazon - they're pushing this new series pretty hard, but if you pick it up is completely determined on personal interest. What's more likely is that the show will inspire interest in that genre, which will then prompt other races to make their own. However, it's unlikely to be as good since the Trade Organization is dumping money into the production so Tarble's show is about as high quality as you can get.

Edit: In regards to is Star and Blackfire will have watched it is a coin flip. I'm not sure on the exact timeline, but I think they would be on Okkar to be trained as warlords, and in that case, the show could be used as a teaching aid. Because, by all rights, Tarble turned an epic loss into a total win.

* * *

**Tarble's contrast in the previous chapter**

There are a couple of reasons. The meta ones are because it sets up the scene that follows it - or, rather, the lack of a scene that follows it. During Taste of War, when Tarble purges a planet for the first time, almost every death was described. The aliens were described. Their corpses were described. More importantly, how Tarble killed them was described. Because, for Tarble, it was his first taste of war. Then fast forward to Eyes Wide Open - death has become something more routine for Tarble, but the battles that are fought are detailed. They're worthy of note as the two sides struggle to gain control of a city.

Then there's this chapter. Tarble nuked a city, killing hundreds of thousands if not a million, then mopped up, killing thousands more, and there's next to no detail. It's just 'yeah, that happened, and this happened, and now new scene.' I was trying to passively show a couple of things - the first is that Tarble has been nearly completely desensitized to the horrors of war to the point that mass killings are normal to him and to display his leadership style. Tarble leads from the front. He takes the hardest, messiest jobs and he does them himself, in person. And he's reached a level of strength that taking planets, as in the struggle of taking them, is beneath him to the point he's created a routine to do it.

The in story reasons are similar. Tarble leads from the front. He doesn't want to take unnecessary losses, and Tarble is someone that has to see what he's doing first hand. He could, in theory, just lob a massive ki ball from the HQ then go back to playing with Elery, but that doesn't fit his mentality. That, and there's a risk that he could miss by a bit and hit some ofhis own men. He's someone that has to be there, in the thick of it, rather than an armchair general that handles things from afar.


	34. Touch of the Past

"Is that home?" Elery asked, jabbing a finger in the direction of Planet Vegeta. It might have been about six years since I've last seen it, but I still recalled what it looked like with ease. It hadn't changed at all during the last six years - the same lush green colors, the oceans were a cyan blue, the clouds swirled in violent patterns that hinted at multiple storms raging on the surface.

In the past six years, I've been on hundreds of planets by now, but Planet Vegeta stood out from the countless others that littered the galaxy. It wasn't the birthplace of the saiyan race, Sadala was lost to time, but it was the home for the saiyan race. And we brought back what was left of our warriors in a small shuttle ship.

"That's it," I confirmed with a nod as we sailed closer to the planet. It was odd seeing one with a moon now, I was more used to seeing debris or nothing at all coming from them. Despite myself, I looked down at it as it rapidly approached with some apprehension. Last time I was here, I was months old and low-class. Now…

Now I was the second strongest saiyan alive.

"It looks boring," Elery decided, pressing her face against the glass, her breath fogging it up for a moment before it cleared, only to repeat each time she breathed out. "Do we really have to be here? I wanted to see a shield world like you were talking about." She said, still looking at the Planet Vegeta, and I didn't see a need to correct her that she wouldn't see the shield world until after we took it.

"It's what King Vegeta wanted. He even got approval from Lord Frieza, so we don't have much of a choice," I admitted with a small shrug. I was more nervous than angry, like Mom. I hadn't spoken or seen King Vegeta since I left the planet behind years ago. I didn't even know if he had acknowledged me formally - I got a message from Vegeta, and Mom seemed to welcome me into the royal family, but nothing from King Vegeta. Who was arguably the most important.

"That's your dad, right? Why do you call him King Vegeta and not dad?" Elery asked, tearing her gaze from the planet to look at me. Her scouter was hanging around her neck since she didn't like seeing everything with a green tint all the time. I just got used to a red tint after awhile. And, as usual, she cut right into the heart of the matter in a way that only the ignorant could manage.

"Because I used to be really weak, so he didn't acknowledge me," I answered, turning my attention back to the planet I hadn't seen in years.

Elery nodded, thinking that made sense. Or she didn't understand what that meant. Either or, she quickly moved on, disinterested in the subject. "Do we have to stay here long?" She asked, returning her attention back to Planet Vegeta, and I didn't have an answer for that. I didn't know, and neither did Mom. King Vegeta hadn't bothered to give details, simply informing us that we were expected back here in a few day's time.

"Maybe. But Planet Vegeta has a lot heavier gravity than you're used to experiencing, so you're training is going to be a lot more effective." I pointed out, distracting myself from a worry that gnawed at the back of my head, my thoughts tugging at theories on why we could be here. "And there are going to be a bunch of people that are around your strength to spar with-"

"So I can win?!" Elery whipped around at me so fast I spared a worry that she might hurt herself. Despite myself, I cracked a smile at that. "I'll be able to win?"

"Depends on who you fight, I guess. But you were born into the elite-class, and there are only about seven members in it. You're probably the strongest kid out there," I admitted, trying to stop my smile from growing. Actually, since she was still about a year and a half away from being 'born', she was considerably stronger than most kids. Maybe her victory deficient could come to an end.

Elery's jaw dropped as she started pushing on the glass, trying to push the shuttle down to the planet faster. Before she broke the glass and ventilated the entire ship, I grabbed her by her armor to pull her back. "Let gooo! I wanna go down there now! Tell them to go faster!" She ordered, trying to lurch forward.

Preventing Elery from killing us all served as a decent distraction as we made the trip down to the planet's surface. We touched down with little fanfare, the door going down to serve as a walkway and revealing a sight that wasn't unfamiliar, but I hardly remembered it. It was the same docking area as before, only now it was empty. Not only that, I saw signs of disuse-

"Ugghhh!" Elery grunted as she stepped out of the ship. Glancing behind me at her, I saw Mom, Matillo and Fasha behind me - they were the only ones we took back to Planet Vegeta. The others chose not to come back to Planet Vegeta when given the choice. Most likely because the fleet would be going to another planet to conquer. "It's heavy!"

"Do you need me to carry you?" I asked, making Elery shake her head with some difficulty as she stepped on to the planet surface for the first time. Her face was showing some signs of exertion, but she didn't look like she couldn't walk under her own power.

"No! It's just really heavy," she clarified. Then she pouted at me, thoroughly uninterested in the surroundings. I guess, to her, Planet Vegeta was just another planet. "Make it stop being so heavy," she ordered me, much to the amusement of Fasha and Mom. Even Matillo looked amused. I just looked back at Elery's expecting gaze that demanded that I put an end to gravity.

"Yeah, make it stop being so heavy," Fasha teased as we walked from the ship. I gave her a look. How would I even do that? The only way I could think of would be to create a technique that…

Hm.

"And you've given him an idea," Mom said with some humor, her lips curling upwards as Elery decided to climb onto my back anyway once the others began to float upwards. She hung off of my shoulder, pouting, but was otherwise fine.

"Maybe," I admitted, adding the idea to find a way to manipulate gravity to the list of ideas in the back of my mind. I started to fly up, only to realize that none of the others were.

"I don't think this is a conversation for me," Fasha pointed out, earning a nod from Matillo. Technically speaking, only me and Mom were supposed to come. However, she didn't look like she was willing to budge. "I'm going to meet up with Gine-"

"I'm going too," Mom decided, making Fasha raise an eyebrow at her queen. Mom shrugged in response.

"Your father can kiss my entire ass. If he wants to see me, then he can come to me. Now, introduce me to this Gine woman. I want to meet her," Mom stated as she flew up. Fasha seemed to think about it for a moment before she shrugged, floating up as well. Matillo nodded at me before all three of them blasted off in the exact opposite direction from the palace. I watched them go for a moment before I turned to face the opposite direction.

Really don't look forward to delivering that message.

With Elery still clinging to my back, we took off towards the palace in the distance. Castle Vegeta looked the same as the last time that I saw it. Grand buildings poised on the edge of a cliff, a spire going down to support the base so it didn't collapse under its own weight. The other planets that hung in the sky almost overlapped in the light blue sky, arcing perfectly behind the castle.

It took no time at all to reach the grand front gate of the castle, and I sensed a powerful saiyan nearby, and that was without my scouter alerting me as we touched down. Vegeta stood at the front gate, his arms crossed as he seemed to be waiting for us. He got a lot stronger in the past two years, I noticed, feeling the difference even without my scouter alerting me.

24,000.

He looked stronger, even though his appearance hadn't changed much since I last saw him. The only real difference that I noticed was he had a scar on his neck where it looked like he hadn't quite managed to dodge a plasma thrust completely.

"What are you wearing?" Vegeta snapped at me as soon as we touched down. For the briefest of seconds, I thought he was talking about Elery. Then I realized he was probably talking about my scouter. Did it really look that bad? At the very least, I was almost certain that he hadn't seen the show. Otherwise, he would have started making fun of me right out of the gate.

"Oh, it's my scouter-" I started, only for him to shake his head before jabbing a finger at me.

"No, that ridiculous looking armor," he interrupted, pointing at me. I looked down at my armor, feeling Elery do the same. I didn't know what he was talking about. It was the standard armor - black and white, a slot for my tail around my waist, and squared shoulder pads. Because I was looking down, I nearly missed it when he threw a capsule at me.

I caught it, looking at him, then at it for a moment before I clicked it open. Inside was...armor? More confusingly, it was the same model as my current one- oh.

Right over the heart was the royal family crest. A half-circle that had a point downward in the center while the two ends became hooks pointed upwards. Two bars marked a small space between an upwards arrow with two others branching out from it.

"...Thanks," I said, feeling a weight vanish that I hadn't noticed until it was gone. Elery hopped off me, allowing me to shrug on the other armor. For the first time, I wore the royal symbol - it was a bright red so it stood out on the black armor, announcing my status to anyone who knew what it meant.

"Hm. Better," Vegeta allowed as he took a few steps forward. Elery stepped forward to meet him, looking up at him, then at me, blinking a few times. "You've gotten stronger, little brother," he observed with a smirk sharp enough to cut.

"You're one to talk," I shot back at him. "You're over twenty thousand pl," I observed. There was an air of relief, but at the same time, there was a different kind of tension. I recognized how he was looking at me because I saw that same look in my own expression in replays whenever there was a powerful opponent. A look of anticipation of a worthy challenge.

I wasn't used to that, I guess, but it was a welcomed change. The last time I was on this planet, I was among the weakest saiyans, and now I was second only to one.

"You aren't far behind me at eighteen thousand," Vegeta pointed out, his smirk becoming a feral grin. "I suppose-"

"Why do you look like my brother?" Elery interrupted, kicking Vegeta in the shin to get his attention. He looked down, making me tense. Elery's eyes were narrowed into slits, a frown tugging at her lips.

"Who are you?" Vegeta shot back, frowning at Elery, who looked shocked that he didn't know who she was. Given that she only interacted with members of the 501st and the army we were attached to, I guess it wasn't too surprising.

"She's Elery. She's Mom and Parslee's kid," I explained, making Vegeta blink as he looked down at Elery with renewed interest. He pressed down on his scouter, and it only took a moment for it to calculate her power level. Despite himself, I saw Vegeta's eyebrows rise high when it settled on four hundred.

"...How old is she?" He asked after a moment, but before I could answer, Elery kicked him in the shin again for ignoring her. For a moment, I thought Vegeta was going to kick her back, but he seemed to decide against it.

"Mom decided to go with normal aging, so she wouldn't have to remember later, so right now she's negative a year and a half." Was that the right way to say it? I guess it didn't matter because Vegeta seemed to understand.

"She's stronger than I was at that point," he admitted, looking at Elery with some amusement as she began to rapidly kick his shin so she wouldn't go ignored. From the look of it, she was hurting her foot more than him. I nodded, unsurprised.

"Mom thinks not putting her in the tank helped a bunch. She didn't get any information downloaded in her head, but she was able to start training a lot earlier. I had to teach her a bunch of stuff - Elery, he's going to hit you back if you don't stop. What did I say about picking your opponents?" I asked, grabbing her hand before she could punch Vegeta in the groin.

"He's ignoring me! Why do you look like my brother?!" Elery demanded, kicking Vegeta's shin since she couldn't throw hands at him. Vegeta looked amused for a moment, his dark eyes darting to mine, only to get a helpless shrug in response.

"Because I'm his brother," Vegeta answered shortly, making Elery pause as she looked at Vegeta with no small amount of bewilderment. "I am Prince Vegeta, heir to the throne," he introduced himself, his gaze flickering to me as he said it. Elery whipped around to me for confirmation, her expression could best be summarized as disbelieving.

"It's true, Vegeta is my older brother and he's going to be king one day, like King Vegeta," I explained, seeing Vegeta shift as I spoke. I glanced up at him to see that his eyebrows were drawn together for a moment, but when our gazes met he gave me a smirk that grew into a smile for some reason. My attention was quickly snatched back to Elery when she turned back to Vegeta, apparently unconvinced.

"That makes you my brother too, right?" Elery pointed out, earning a small wince from me. "So, I'm Princess Elery." She decided, testing the name out, and judging from her expression, she liked the sound of it.

However, Vegeta shook his head. "No. You can only be a member of the royal family if you are born from Father and Mother. Your father is that Parslee clown, so neither of us are your brothers," he informed with callous brutality. I went still, opening my mouth to argue, but...he wasn't wrong.

Elery wasn't my little sister in view of saiyan society. We were related, obviously, but she wasn't acknowledged as part of the royal family, just like I wasn't for the longest time. King Vegeta wasn't her father, and that was that.

"No," Elery shook her head, though I wasn't sure what she was saying no to.

Neither was Vegeta, apparently, "No?" He echoed, cocking his head to the side.

"No, I'm Princess Elery," she decided before she pointed at me. "And he's my brother. You aren't though, because I don't like you." She explained, earning a huff of laughter from me as Vegeta actually cracked a smile at that, more amused than anything.

"It doesn't work like that," he informed, though not unkindly. "You can't decide that you're a princess, or who your brothers are." Ah...you know, it never really was clear to me until it was directed at someone else, but Vegeta really had a soft spot for family. Even if by our laws, she wasn't related to him.

"Can," Elery argued stubbornly. "Did."

Vegeta let out a huff of laughter, "I see the resemblance to Mother," he commented, ignoring Elery's demand for an explanation on what he meant by that. He turned around, gesturing to the door that would take us to the palace. "Father is expecting us. She can come if she likes, but if she attacks Father then she's dead. He won't tolerate it," he warned, earning a serious nod from me.

"I'll-" Elery started to bluster, only to fall silent when I pulled her tail, making her go limp before I put her on my back. She was just small enough for it to work, but it wouldn't forever.

"Be quiet while we meet the king. I want you to promise me, Elery," I said, following Vegeta into the palace. Almost immediately, as soon as the large doors opened, I was struck by the difference. Last time, there had been material wealth scattered about, but now it crowded the hallways to the point that more than two people couldn't walk shoulder to shoulder without hitting something.

"...I promise," Elery agreed, and that was enough for me. She hadn't broken on yet, and after I stressed how important it was to keep your promises, I don't think she ever would.

The halls were filled with statues, boxes of precious metals and anything else that could be used to display the prosperity of the royal family. There was even art hanging from the walls, and judging from the different styles, I'm guessing that they were looted from different species. Elery looked around, still hanging off of me, taking in all the stuff with disinterest.

"My princes," a waif of a saiyan announced his presence with a deep bow. I recognized him solely because he was the one that handed out the catalog for planets after my first mission. His gaze didn't linger on me exactly, but it did on Elery, who was looking at him with some suspicion. "It's so good to see both of you once again," he said as he rose from the bow, his expression didn't change so I couldn't tell if he meant the words or not.

"Hm. Take us to Father," Vegeta ordered with ease, earning another small bow as the butler Saiyan led us to the king. I looked around - I still didn't understand wealth or money, but I recognized some of them as rare and valuable for construction. Our ship had a fabrication bay and rare materials were the bottlenecks that prevented me from completely outfitting the 501st with top of the line equipment.

"This place filled up...do you know why he recalled us?" I asked, glancing over at Vegeta as we walked side by side.

Vegeta shook his head, "no. I'm guessing it has something to do with the current generation of saiyans. They're about ready to enter the war," he said, making me frown in thought.

"I'm not sure how much use they'll be," I admitted. "Even with the Wrath State, they're only going to be as strong as a scout."

Vegeta nodded, "You're thinking too short term. The war won't end in a few years. Most of them will probably die, but by the time they'll hit their first and second growth spurts, they could be useful." He pointed out, and that was a fair point. Still, that raised its own problem.

"There aren't that many saiyans left outside of this generation," I pointed out, earning a puzzled look from Vegeta. "I've been trying to transfer them into my unit for a while now, but there's only about thirty left in total, including me, Mom and my team."

Vegeta let out a noise of acknowledgment, "that few? Hm. Now that you mention it, me and Raditz are the only ones left in Frieza's personal army." So Raditz was still alive. I would shoot Bardock a message with the good news when I got a chance.

"The Saiyan race could go extinct if we're not careful with our population. All that's left that are mature adults are the working-class, most of the mid-class and Mom and King Vegeta." I stated, making Vegeta nod with reluctant acceptance.

"You're talking about boring stuff," Elery commented from my back, sounding like she was about to go down for a nap.

"If about...fifty adults die, then the entire Saiyan race will be kids," I told Elery. That seemed to perk her up, mulling over that revelation with more than a little interest. "And no. You wouldn't be in charge. Me and Vegeta would be," I pointed out, making her pout as she began to eye the two of us like an obstacle in her way to unlimited power.

"King Vegeta awaits you inside," The butler informed, gesturing to a massive door that would lead to the throne room. I felt Elery shift on my back, letting go.

"Are you going to talk about boring stuff with the king guy?" She asked, prompting me to look at Vegeta, who shrugged in response.

"Probably," I admitted. Outside of cartoons and fighting, Elery didn't exactly have a variety of interests, so it was more than likely that she would be bored to tears during the meeting. Not only that, but I also wasn't certain having Elery meet King Vegeta was a good idea. Actually, I was nearly certain that it was a bad one.

"I don't want to go then," Elery announced, and, surprisingly, it was Butler that spoke up next.

"If you would care for it, I know of several children that would prove to be worthy challenges," he said. It seemed that he also thought it was a bad idea, and I'm guessing that he understood how children thought since Elery practically glowed with excitement. "If you would follow me, I can take you to them."

"'Kay! Don't die!" Elery said, waving goodbye as she practically grabbed Butler to haul him to her next challenge. I wasn't worried. Elery was stronger than Butler by half, and unless something really crazy happened while we were away, she would be the strongest child on the planet.

"Let's not keep Father waiting," Vegeta said, drawing my attention back to him as he pushed open the doors. I barely and any time to brace myself for meeting my father for the first time in years because my brother strode into the room with well-practiced ease. I followed in step, hesitating for the briefest of seconds before I followed.

Instantly, my gaze landed on King Vegeta. He sat in his throne and it was even more opulent. Precious metals, gemstones the size of my head. Lining the walls were dozens of statues. Some depicted singular saiyans, but not all of them. I saw statues that depict the war against the Truffles, our victory over them, our victories against the Reach and...one of me in the Wrath State.

King Vegeta hadn't changed at all since I last saw him, his expression unchanging even as he stood up and walked down the steps. We continued to approach, meeting in the middle underneath a multicolored statue of King Vegeta the First stepping on a Truffle corpse.

"My sons," King Vegeta started, kneeling down in front of us. He reached out, placing a hand on our shoulders before the ice-cold visage melted away so a fearsome smile was displayed. "Both of you have made me so proud I can't put it into words. You exceeded my wildest expectations a hundred times over and the Saiyan race will remember your names for eternity. I'll make sure of it," he swore before he brought us in.

It took me a moment to realize what was happening. And even once I realized it, a part of me didn't believe it was happening. Even as my face was pressed into his shoulder, his hand pressed into my back to hold me close, I still struggled to believe it.

He was hugging me. And Vegeta. But...he was hugging me.

"Especially you Tarble," King Vegeta continued, pulling back as he stared directly at me. "The Wrath State has single handedly changed the future of our race. With it, we can finally take our place as the ultimate warriors in the universe.

I felt like a little kid again. I mean, I still was a little kid, but I felt like I was fresh out of the tank and meeting King Vegeta for the first time. My words failed me, forcing me to nod numbly as emotion swirled in my chest. I was just hugged by my father for the first time. I fought, bleed, killed and nearly died for years for this moment and now that it was here, I had no idea what to do with it.

"We did what was expected of us," Vegeta spoke up, saving me from sticking my entire foot into my mouth. King Vegeta's smile grew a fraction at that, giving our shoulders a small squeeze in response. "But why did you recall us? I was going to take a planet by myself." That was...possible, wasn't it? With a power level of twenty-four thousand, multiplying that by ten would put him just under a fourth of a million.

I doubt it would be easy, but it would be possible.

I nodded, "I was going to hit a shield world," I echoed. King Vegeta gave both of us an approving nod, he rose to his feet.

"It concerns the future of our race," King Vegeta informed gravely. To build up suspense, he turned around, his cape swaying dramatically as he walked towards the throne. Me and Vegeta followed him a split second later. King Vegeta pressed a button before the throne gave way, revealing a staircase leading down. "Leave your scouters up here," he said, prompting Vegeta and I to take them off and leave them on the floor.

The short walk was enough time for me to come to grips with myself. It just caught me off guard. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't expecting rejection of some kind - even when I was standing in the same room as King Vegeta, he hadn't acknowledged my existence. I know I was stronger now, but...it still caught me off guard just how different he acted now that I was in the elite-class.

Walking down a steep set of stairs, King Vegeta brought us to an open room. It was a simple one, white walls, the floor made of stone slabs and the ceiling was white as well. At the center was a hologram projector of what seemed to be Planet Vegeta.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning," King Vegeta began, turning to face us as we came to a stop. "Our ancestor, King Vegeta the First, was the one that bent the knee to King Cold. After he conquered the Truffles, he turned his gaze to the skies above once we mastered their space travel - the attack balls. We found a minor race as we took our first steps into the galactic stage - their name was never recorded, but it is known that their planet was becoming unlivable for the race, so they hired us to conquer a planet that was more suitable for them."

This, I thought, wasn't covered by either my lessons or Matillo. Listening with rapt attention, I hung on every word, knowing where this story was headed.

"It was this action that brought King Cold's attention to the saiyan race. Our ancestor, King Vegeta the First, chose to bend the knee to him, knowing that King Cold could not be defeated. At least, not then. We were too weak and our numbers too few," King Vegeta explained, his voice grave so each word felt like they had physical weight. "My grandfather made the ultimate sacrifice. He swallowed his pride for our race's continued survival and agreed to allow the saiyan race to be enslaved, in exchange for some small concessions - we maintained our own system of government, ownership of Planet Vegeta, and the only population control is a cap."

I nodded - something that I learned over time was that not all slave races were created equal. The races that Lord Frieza enslaved personally had nothing - no rights, no control, no ownership of anything, not even their lives. Likewise, there were slave races that had more freedoms than us, to the point that they were slaves in name only. Then there were races that bought their freedom entirely.

"This killed him," King Vegeta continued. "My father was a short-sighted fool. In the dead of night, he committed the ultimate sin - he drugged my grandfather before murdering him because he was too weak to do it in a proper fight," King Vegeta spat with no small amount of rage. Vegeta made a noise of disbelief while I thought it over. King Vegeta the First was a legend, but his death was never elaborated on.

I guess this was why. Murdered by his own son after bending the knee.

"But wasn't he stronger than King Vegeta the First?" I questioned, recalling the few times Matillo had spoken about the second Vegeta.

"He was. And even still, he was too afraid to face my grandfather in battle," King Vegeta answered with disgust in his tone. Then he sighed.

"However, my grandfather was a brilliant man. I wasn't much older than you when he was murdered, but I remember him well. My father wasn't a fraction of a man that he was, and it is my greatest shame that I allowed him to rein as long as I did. It took me nearly a century to grow strong enough to best him in combat," King Vegeta seemed to gather himself for a moment before he continued. "However, your great grandfather was a peerless strategist. Nearly three hundred years ago, he laid the foundation for our revolution."

"Revolution?" I echoed, my heart squeezing in my chest. Against Lord Frieza? Images of Sereall drifting apart appeared in my mind, and my disbelief must have shown on my face because King Vegeta nodded grimly.

"I understand the task at hand. Not even my grandfather could have predicted the monstrous strength of King Cold's children," he agreed while Vegeta crossed his arms. He was with me as Sereall, and despite his efforts, not even he could keep his doubts off his face. "But, in the end, it changes little."

"What is the plan?" Vegeta asked, his tone colored by curiosity.

"To summarize it simply?" King Vegeta started, "to overwhelm the Cold family's influence in the Trade Organization."

"...What?" Vegeta started, blinking in surprise and I felt like doing the same because...wow. That wasn't what I was expecting at all. Then it clicked into place.

"The plan is to oust the Cold family?" I hazard a guess, thinking that was more feasible than defeating them in battle. But it was difficult to imagine us amassing so much influence that the Cold family didn't just take us out to take back the influence we gathered.

King Vegeta smirked as he nodded, "in a sense," he hedged before continuing. "Since we were enslaved by King Cold, the goal is to become instrumental to the Trade Organization. This is why I allowed Bardock to remain the employee of the year for a decade - he established what other races could expect from our race." Vegeta nodded at that while I made the conscious choice not to bring up that Bardock was nearly killed by Vegeta more than once.

"We are to become irreplaceable to the Trade Organization. The easiest way to do that is through the military - for the longest time, the oozaru transformation was our key. The Wrath State has replaced it. Tarble, with the creation of that technique, what could have taken thousands of years could be accomplished in a century." King Vegeta explained and I fought not to fidget underneath the praise.

"Once we accomplish that, the next step would be to expand our influence beyond the military aspects of the Trade Organization. The board of directors that controls the Trade Organization - Frieza rules over them, but he is one man. When we control the board of directors, then we will control the Trade Organization. Our reach will stretch far beyond a mere planet or two. And then, we can search for something that can kill the Cold family with the resources available to us."

King Vegeta smiled a vicious smile, "and when the dust has settled, it will be the saiyan race that stands at the top of the galaxy."

I put together the pieces in my head - it was easy to gather them up now he told me what to look for. The sudden hike in our population, how many of the mid-class ended up as generals…all of it were stepping stones to increase our influence. We were already on the path to become the dominating force in the military, and with enough time, with millions of saiyans, it would become an inevitability.

"Lord Frieza is going to see it coming," I pointed out with a small frown, mulling over it. "Wait...no...he won't. Because right now, he thinks it's his idea." He was turning my life into a cartoon, he was increasing my responsibilities, he was turning me into the face of the saiyan race. He was purposely increasing our influence for his own ends, unaware that he was doing the hard part for us.

"Frieza thinks I'm plotting an open rebellion," King Vegeta informed. "The only reason he hasn't stamped me out is that we are beneath his notice. He won't suspect anything until it's too late," he informed. Even better, Lord Frieza would think it was his plan all along.

"Where does the current generation play into all of this?" Vegeta asked, mulling over what he heard with a thoughtful expression.

"The current generation is the cumulative work of hundreds of years," King Vegeta began, his tone turning boastful. "They are the children of our most powerful warriors throughout our history - out of the millions there are on this planet, none of them are low-class." He stated, making Vegeta and I go very still. "Any that were below the threshold were aborted. With this generation, our race will grow more powerful than ever before."

That was...that had implications that I didn't have time to think about. "What happened to the class system?" I asked at the same time that Vegeta asked his own question.

"How many are in the elite-class?" He asked, and that was an even better question than mine. Until recently, there were only six members in the elite-class. More were on their way, but that would take time. Only now there could be hundreds-

"A hundred thousand of them are born into the elite-class," King Vegeta informed, the number was like a punch to the stomach. A hundred thousand of them were born with a power level of over two hundred? Meaning, in twenty or so years, there would be, at least, a hundred thousand saiyans that had a power level of over a hundred thousand in the Wrath State.

The rest were mid-class strength. It varied, but that was fifty to ninety thousand pl in the Wrath State.

"The class-system is being altered. With the wealth that we have claimed from the Reach, the working-class will be slaves that we import now that we have the wealth. The markings of entry of each class have been increased, so a significant portion of the newest generation is considered low-class but they are closer to mid-class than not. Likewise, those that are mid-class would be considered elite-class by previous standards and the elite-class are stronger than ever. As the baseline power of our race increases, that threshold will climb to keep the bloodlines clean of weakness." King Vegeta answered my question, and it struck me that he gave this a lot of thought.

"...You stayed here to oversee the current generation," I realized. Bardock, the team, and Mom thought that King Vegeta was either a coward or lazy. Sometimes both, according to Mom's mood.

King Vegeta nodded, "I have overseen their progress since the working-class numbers have dwindled considerably since they emerged from their tanks. They have learned that they owe their loyalty to the throne." A tension seemed to ease out of his shoulders as I looked at him in a new light. It was impossible not to given the sacrifice he made.

King Vegeta, until recently, was the most powerful saiyan in our history. He was a warrior. Yet, when the call to war came, he refused to go to battle, what saiyans were made for, in favor of staying here to preserve and guide our race. All the while, everyone called him a coward once he was out of hearing range.

"We can discuss more on the topic later, but what you need to know is that those hundred thousand warriors will be given to you and several others to lead into battle. Twenty-five thousand each to be divided between you two, your mother, and Matillo," King Vegeta explained, taking a knee before us. "These warriors, once they reach their majority, will serve as the foundation of the usurpation of the Trade Organization. The generation after them will only be more powerful, and the same with the one after that."

King Vegeta let out a small laugh, "that is the reason why I waited so long to have children of my own. I waited for over a century for someone like your mother that could bear me powerful children, and you outstripped every expectation I could think to place on either of you."

Both me and Vegeta stood a little taller after hearing that, making his smile widen. "Turn them into powerful warriors, but not so powerful that they can challenge you...though, I doubt that they ever could." He said, his gaze drifting over both of us. Standing back up, he turned to the hologram projector.

"We have much to discuss, my sons," he said, pressing a button before the projector came to life, displaying a planet with a name underneath it.

Vampa.

* * *

**So, since there isn't an easy way to have a discussion on this site, I'll drop a hint about King Vegeta. Look at his prior scenes, then look at him here and think about what has changed. Also think about who he is. Now, get rid of any emotional aspects. Hope that helps some figure out King Vegeta's motivation.**

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	35. Healing Touch

**I'll be taking a small break from the 1st of May to the 8th, so there won't be an update that week. **

* * *

"Do you think we can win?" I asked, turning to Vegeta. King Vegeta-...Dad only had so much time that he could spare us. Perhaps unsurprisingly, over three million saiyan children were proving to be handfuls. Which left me and Vegeta alone to digest all that we had learned. It was nearing dusk as we stood at the top of the palace, my feet dangling off the edge of a spire that had a convenient ring around it to serve as a seat.

Both of us looked out at the sunset, the sky darkening as the stars were revealed above. After spending so much time on heavily developed planets, I had almost forgotten what it was like to look up at the sky and see billions of stars twinkling in the distance. A perk of having so low population density, I guess.

Vegeta leaned back against the spire, thinking about my question. Though, I suppose I didn't really need to ask. He was with me at Sereall, after all. "As we are now? We don't stand a chance," he admitted with some frustration. Our scouters were still where we left them, letting us speak freely. And it was nice not seeing everything with a red tint to it. "Frieza is simply too strong for us to hope to defeat in combat yet."

I glanced at Vegeta, a grin tugging at my lips, "yet?" I echoed, earning a sharp smirk from my older brother.

"Yet," Vegeta agreed. "I still have two growth spurts left, and you haven't had your first. No saiyans before has ever been as strong as us before they hit their majority, much less at all." That much was true, I thought with a nod.

Looking back at the sunset, I admitted a worry that I've harbored since I became an elite-class. "My biggest worry is that the Reach doesn't have anything that can push us to get even stronger. The Champion scarab was their ace in the hole, and they might as well be vanguards now. Maybe if they put one of those support scarabs on them, that could change, but I haven't seen them do it yet." I told him, taking a moment to look down.

The palace was massive, and we were in the center of it, so it was hard to judge how far we were up. Given that below was the ocean, I'm guessing a couple of thousand feet.

"Neither have I. I suppose they don't have the resources to spare, and an enhanced scarab is almost as strong as a champion…" Vegeta gave a small shrug, "I'm hoping that they're developing something to kill us specifically. But, it could be a while before they send it at us."

I nodded, "I hope it's not another scarab. They all fight the same," I muttered more to myself than to Vegeta, but I heard him let out a huff of laughter.

"I think you'll be disappointed in that case. It's like that's all they know how to make," Vegeta pointed out, making me lean back against the spire with some frustration. I knew he was right - the scarabs worked for the most part. The Ginyu squad, my team, and Vegeta were the outliers. Asking for an entirely new design was probably too much to ask for. Though, at the very least they would create something that would be a challenge again eventually.

"Until then, the closet thing we're going to get in variety would be in the Thanagarian empire," Vegeta pointed out. He glanced down at me for a moment before he decided to sit down next to me, his legs dangling off the edge like mine.

I perked up at that, "I heard that tensions were rising, but are we going to war?" I questioned, figuring that Vegeta would know better than me given that he traveled with Lord Frieza.

"It's inevitable," Vegeta answered with a shrug. "Frieza demanded several vassal races from them along with their inhabitants - the Thangarian empire gave them to him, but I was there when they did it. They feared Frieza's power too much to do anything about it then, so they're biding their time, just as we are. Only now that they have, their vassals are acting up and Frieza is continuing to push them for more."

Thangar had apparently tried to steal Earth from me some years ago. I never got the reason why they were trying to steal a planet in the middle of nowhere, so out in the boonies that it slipped my mind on the occasion that I owned it. For the past two years, Lord Frieza punished them for the transgression and with no small amount of grumbling, the Thangarian empire gave him what he wanted.

"If they're going to attack, then they'll do it soon while we're still preoccupied with the Reach," I commented, idly swinging my feet back and forth as I enjoyed the moment. "Are they massing their fleets or anything?" I asked, trying to picture what the war would look like when the Thangar empire joined in.

I didn't know as much about them as I did the Reach. What I did know was that their home planet was the largest source of Nth metal in the galaxy, and they used it extensively. It was in their weapons, giving them metaphysical properties that I didn't really understand beyond that they could hit a lot harder than their species should be able to, it helped them fly extremely fast and breathe in space. The empire was expansive, but the bulk of it came from vassal kingdoms.

Dozens of vassal races and a rigid caste system that kept everyone in check. Their actual strength had an asterisk attached to it because it relied on all of their vassals honoring the call, and given that there was a major breach in trust on the ruling casts behalf, I wouldn't count on that happening. Even still, the Thanguarian empire was powerful, not as powerful as the Reach, but they could be a dagger in the side rather than an annoyance if left unchecked.

"They've increased their border patrols and there have been standoffs between our fleets. I can't say when they'll attack, but it should be soon. Hopefully. I want my throne to be made of Nth metal," Vegeta commented, earning a laugh from me.

"I want to figure out how it works," I admitted, tugging on the necklace of the stuff around my neck. "Apparently, if there's enough of it, then you can breathe in space. I think it does something by oxygenating blood cells, but I'm not sure yet. Or I could figure out why it can hit so much harder than it should," I tacked on when Vegeta gave me an odd look.

"Is creating techniques all you do?" He asked, making me think about it for a moment. In the end, I shrugged.

"For the most part, yeah," I admitted. "Ki can be used in so many ways beyond attacks. Bardock proved that with the Power Ball technique. I want to explore all the things it could be used for," I told him honestly. My interest in the subject had been piqued back when I made that giant Destructo Disk, then when I used it as a shield, or when I repurposed Solar Flare to be a flashlight.

Then, as I began to study various subjects simply because I couldn't afford to be ignorant, I began to have ideas. As I eased into my role as a leader, I realized what my soldiers needed or could use, which gave me more ideas. And that, in turn, gave me more subjects that I needed to study. They fed into each other until my list of ideas was miles long and I was spreading my attention between a dozen subjects.

"Well, whatever you enjoy, I suppose...though, speaking of techniques, you need to learn the Galick Gun," Vegeta informed. The technique that belonged to the royal bloodline. Not even Mom knew it, much to her displeasure. I looked at Vegeta, which prompted him to continue. "I'll see to it that Father teaches it to you. But, this technique can't be passed down to anyone. I didn't approve of your decision to teach the lower class, but with what we've learned...I think it's for the best."

"I won't teach the Galick Gun to anyone," I promised. It wasn't my technique to decide. One of our ancestors, Galick, created it centuries ago. It was important to the royal family, enough so that I hadn't tried to figure it out since it felt wrong to.

"Good. Are you still going to teach whatever techniques you end up creating to the lower classes?" Vegeta asked, his tone telling me that he wanted the answer to be no. But, if I said that, then it would be a lie.

"I am. Especially now that our population is so weak right now and we need to make sure that as many as possible survive," I told him with a nod. "I'm figuring out how to create a lesser Wrath State so they can learn it in stages because it'll take forever for them to learn it as it is. And there are a couple of other techniques that I've created that'll be necessary for them to learn."

"How many is a couple?" Vegeta asked, mulling what I said over. I was glad that he wasn't dismissing it out of hand like I worried.

"About six ones that they'll need to learn, but I have a bunch of others that could be useful in a pinch," I said, glancing at my brother. "If you want, I can teach you them then you can teach your troops. Though, it'll probably be easier if we do something like teach a handful of them, then have that handful teach the rest." I was about to command twenty-five thousand saiyans…

Except that I wasn't just going to command them, was I? The twenty-five thousand were akin to a personal army, completely separate from the 501st. I would likely end up combining the two, but it was time for the 501st to return to full strength. I've given a lot of thought to how I wanted the 501st to function, but given the large number of child saiyans, that plan would likely have to change a bit.

Regardless, at the very least, I would personally be in charge of forty thousand people. Except not really because Matillo was still a part of my team and that wasn't likely to change. Not to mention that Mom wasn't the type that would look after her soldiers like I did, so I would likely end up helping her take care of her army as well.

So, in practice, I would be in charge of...ninety thousand soldiers.

That number was a lot bigger than four thousand.

"Hm," Vegeta grunted with a small nod, "sounds easy enough." Then he looked at me with a challenging smirk. "You can show me them when we spar now that you're finally strong enough," he said. I smiled wildly, getting excited at the idea. Not only was Vegeta the most powerful Saiyan in our history, but I would also finally spar with my older brother.

"Sounds good...but we should go tell Mom the news and send her to Dad so they can talk first," I said, glad to see that Vegeta was as excited to fight me as I was him. He nodded as we both went to her up, only for me to pause as Vegeta floated upwards. I had one last thing to say before the moment passed.

"Hey, Vegeta?" I started, making Vegeta stop to look at me.

"What?"

"Thank you," I told him, saying two words that had rested heavily on my chest since way back when I was fighting saibamen. He looked confused for a moment, prompting me to explain. "For believing in me since the very beginning. No one else did. Neither did I, to be honest. But because you believed that I was going to join the elite-class, that gave me the drive to keep going even when I thought I would never get here. So, thank you."

And with that, I saw the most amazing thing. I thought I was the only Saiyan that could blush, but evidently I was mistaken. Heat rose to Vegeta's cheeks as he quickly looked away in embarrassment. "You- of course I believed. You are my little brother. It was inevitable," Vegeta stated, earning a smile from me as I gently floated up. I felt light as a feather, and not just because I was flying.

Vegeta brought the moment to a swift end by blasting away towards one of the few occupied cities on the planet. I quickly gave chase, blasting through the air as we left the palace behind. Without our scouters, we couldn't communicate, but that was fine. As we neared a hollowed husk of a grand city, I stretched my awareness out to its absolute limit.

I was hit with hundreds of thousands of presences, making it impossible to distinguish between them. However, I was able to pick out one familiar presence - Elery. My gaze darted down to where she was, slowing to a stop just over the city. She was just outside of it, far enough that I could make out nearly a dozen other presences.

The only issue was that Elery was weaker than normal. Hoping that Vegeta would notice my departure, I blasted downwards towards her. As I did, the cliff that was blocking my vision of her panned away, revealing her and the other saiyan children.

Elery was standing between a group of children and a boy. She was covered in scrapes, her lip bloodied while a cut above her eye dripped blood into it while she clutched one of her arms as she panted for breath. Her enemies got as good as they gave - all of them were just as bloodied, some more so than others, with the ringleader of the dozen kids being the least damaged of all.

The leader was a girl with short hair that looked like she tried to comb a case of alien bedhead, only to give up after a few tries. Her skin was tanned, her tail dangling to one side as she wore Frieza-force armor, along with everyone else, only her undersuit was a deep purple that left her thighs and biceps exposed halfway. It was difficult to tell with sensing their ki, but if I had to guess, she was roughly as strong as Elery was.

"I'm gonna kick your butt," Elery announced. She was bloodied, but far from defeated, it seemed.

"Bring it on, you big baby!" The girl shouted back as I floated down. I didn't move to intercept the exchange, letting the clash in the middle. None of the others did either. There was something instinctual about it. You didn't get involved in someone else's fight, not unless you absolutely had to. That's just how it was.

Elery dodged underneath a jab, twisting as to deliver a kick to her stomach, only for the other girl to catch her foot. By now, Elery was used to that and reacted instantly. She lashed out with her other foot, slamming it into the side of the girl's head as she reached down with her good arm to build up some more momentum. It had the intended effect of knocking the girl to the side, but she recovered just as quickly.

She rolled with the momentum, breaking into a back handspring and when she landed, she launched a knee at Elery's face. My little sister dodged out of the way, ducking when the flying knee became a roundhouse kick. She rolled underneath the girl, so when both of them were at the ready, their positions had changed.

On some unspoken signal, both threw themselves at one another. The other girl had the edge in freshness, but Elery was undoubtedly the better fighter. Elery still fought too aggressively, relying too heavily on counters to set up her next move, but she was winning. They clashed in a flurry of blows, the other girl forced on the defensive simply because of how aggressive Elery fought.

However, that was going to change soon enough.

As if to confirm my thoughts, the other girl grabbed Elery's leg and shifted before Elery could counter. Pivoting, the other girl slammed Elery into the ground hard enough that the hard stone of Planet Vegeta cracked, a pained gasp escaping Elery. I tensed, wanting to interfere, but I couldn't. This was Elery's fight. Whether she won or lost depended on her. I would only help if her life was in danger.

Elery snarled, lashing out with a foot that caught the girl by surprise. Her nose was flattened in a spray of blood, but it wasn't enough to make her let go. Instead, as she recoiled from the blow, the girl pivoted, picking Elery back up and slamming her into the ground again. Even as Elery hit the ground, I heard her snarl in pain and frustration, the same as ever when she was losing. So, it was hardly a surprise when she responded.

My little sister was no stranger to pain. Since she could walk, we spared with her. I wouldn't say that she had my tolerance, but hers was better than most.

Elery barely hesitated before she broke her leg to lunge at the other girl, going for her throat. She punched her in the throat, making the other girl gasp for air before Elery grabbed her by the chest plate and started wailing on her face, her face twisted in pain and rage as she rained blow upon blow upon blow onto the girl. The other girl fell, landing on her back and she was a half dozen blows in before she remembered to block.

By then, it was clear who had won the fight.

"What's going on here?" I asked, stepping forward and feeling all eyes on me. Elery looked up, her face twisted into a snarl for an entire second before her lips stretched into a broad smile. The rage vanished like smoke in the wind as she got up, flying because of her leg before she rushed over to me.

"I won a fight!" Elery cheered, flying over to me. Her leg dangled at an odd angle, and it was clear that she was trying really hard to not show the pain that she was in, but I'm doubting that the tears in her eyes were tears of joy. "All by myself! I won!"

"I saw," I said, crouching down as I placed my hands on her leg. It wasn't broken, it seemed, merely dislocated. "You did a great job Elery. I'm proud of you," I told her with a smile. She preened at the compliment, lighting up as she beamed pure joy out of every pore.

"I did- OUUUUUCCCHHH!" Elery wailed as I slipped her knee back into place. She lashed out instinctively, punching me in the side of the head. I let the blow fall, though it was more likely that she hurt her hand more than me. "That hurt," she whined even as she tested her weight on her leg. It seemed that she adapted to the higher gravity rather quickly.

"What's going on here," I asked, standing as I turned my gaze to everyone else. The other girl picked herself off the ground, wiping away blood on the back of her forearm. The group shuffled around, looking at me warily, but ready to fight. Then I turned my attention to the boy that was struggling to push himself up.

He looked at me and I instantly knew who he was. After all, there was no mistaking that hairdo.

Kakarot looked back at me, one of his eyes swollen shut, his face bloodied while the rest of him was covered in injuries. It was clear that he lost whatever fight he was just in, but even still, as he pushed himself up, he gazed evenly at me, waiting for the fight to continue.

"I was being a hero like Prince Tarble," Elery explained. "They were beating up that weak kid, and I saved him!"

Her words made the other girl narrow her eyes in suspicion, "wait, he's not Prince Tarble?" She questioned, looking at Elery.

"I-"

"He's not," Elery talked over me before I could begin. I just looked at her blankly, feeling a little piece of myself die inside each time she said that. "He just likes to pretend that he is. And he's a big jerk about tricking people into thinking he is - like, everyone in his unit calls themselves the 501st. They're really big fans."

You know what? If anything, I'm more impressed with the mental gymnastics Elery is going through to deny that I'm the Low-Class Hero than I am disappointed. I looked down at her as she faced the others as she continued.

"But not as big of a fan as me! I have his collector editions toys! I don't really know what that means, but one of my alien friends said that they're really expensive!" Also, given that Elery didn't know what money was, that probably didn't mean anything to her. And what's a toy? "I even have a scouter that looks like his!"

However, the others didn't seem to care about that. Well, some of them clearly did judging by the jealous glances they exchanged. The others, however, eyed me dangerously. I had to swallow a huff of laughter - they thought I was on their level. That was hilarious.

The other girl proved as much as she settled into a fighting stance, "if he's not the real Prince Tarble then we can win. Let's kick their butts-"

As much fun as it would be to entertain that silly notion, I didn't have time for it. So, I flexed my ki. The air stirred, blasting them in the face as broken rocks began to rise a few inches before they fell, clattering against the ground. I didn't bother entering the Wrath State, but even that minor display of power was more than enough to stop them in their tracks. They gazed at me stupified, frozen in place while Elery looked at them, then at me, tilting her head in confusion.

Kakarot had the most surprising reaction by far. He looked at me the same way Vegeta had minutes earlier. Like a challenge.

I filed that away for later in favor of turning my attention to the group. "What is going on here? I'm not going to ask again," I warned, making the other girl gulp before she jabbed a finger at Kakarot, swallowing thickly before she spoke.

"He wanted to fight us, so we beat him up. Then she came out of nowhere and started beating us up, so we took turns fighting her," the other girl looked at Elery. "You're pretty strong," she admitted with begrudging respect.

Elery smiled at her, "I know." She said, not returning the compliment.

I turned my attention to Kakarot, who was standing now, even if he was swaying dangerously. He didn't try to protest, so I'm guessing that she was telling the truth. Which was odd given that he was a lot weaker than them. It was hard to tell with ki sensing, and he was pretty beat up, but he felt pretty weak.

"What are you lot doing?" Vegeta asked, announcing his presence after realizing that I wasn't following. My attention was more on the other than him. The group flinched so badly it was like they flinched into a bow, dropping to a knee as he floated above. Kakarot, on the other hand, looked more scared than surprised.

I wonder what the story was there. If I had to guess, Kakarot knew that Vegeta didn't exactly...care for his dad. I didn't think Vegeta would kill Kakarot since he couldn't kill his father, but there was that chance. I would have to keep an eye on both of them just in case.

"What are you doing, you big jerk?!" Elery shouted up at him, prompting a sigh from me.

"I was just picking Elery up," I answered before the situation could escalate. "And since Mom and the others are at Gine's house, I figured Kakarot would be able to lead us there," I continued, pointing at Kakarot.

"H-how do you know my name?" Kakarot blurted, displaying something other than a challenging look. Above me, I heard Vegeta scoff.

"As if anyone else could have that ridiculous hairstyle," Vegeta commented, thankfully not making any moves to blast him.

I answered with, "I was on your dad's team until recently. He told me a bit about you," I told Kakarot, and that seemed to mollify him. Admittedly, I did think that he was dead for years because I figured he failed his infiltration mission, but apparently not. I would have to get the whole story from him when I got a chance.

Then Vegeta turned his attention to Elery, "did you at least win?"

"Of course I did," Elery shot back hotly, outraged that he doubted her.

"Good, now hurry up. I grow tired of waiting," Vegeta said, making us drift upwards. Kakarot flew up after a moment of thought while the group watched us fly with wide eyes, torn between looking at Vegeta and me. All except for the other girl that Elery had fought with. She jabbed a finger in Elery's direction - at first, I thought it was an attack. Little did I know, it was something much, much, much worse.

"What's your name?!" She demanded, her voice slightly muffled from her broken nose.

"Elery!" Elery shouted right back, likely because the girl was shouting at her.

"My name is Olave," Olave introduced herself aggressively. "And from this day, you're my rival!" She declared, making Elery suck in a sharp breath.

"Like Prince Tarble and the Super Scarab?!" She questioned, sounding excited. I blinked - when did I become rivals with a Super Scarab? Did the Reach even have Super Scarabs? If they did, then I wanted to fight one- wait, didn't my agent tell me that the show about me was about real events?! Did she lie to me?!

Vegeta looked at me, demanding an explanation, a faintly jealous look on his face. I could only shrug as I shook my head, his jealousy turning into disappointment.

"Yeah!" Olave nodded, making Elery smile. And, despite myself, I smiled lightly as well. If you replace the word, then Elery made a friend. Her first one outside of the 501st and the only one that was around her age.

"Then you're my rival too. By rival, I'll fight you again later!" She said with a wave and a happy smile as the four of us broke off. Olave waved back, looking like she didn't really understand the gesture but was copying Elery. Who had copied it from me. With that, we blasted off, following Kakarot as he took us to his house.

Elery smiled the whole way over.

* * *

Gine lived a fair bit away outside of the city, her house built into the cliffside of a steep cliff. I never would have found it without Kakarot guiding us here. I might have founded it using ki sense, but I'm sure I would have assumed that anything that I found would have been an animal of some sort. After all, our species had ventured further out than ever before and they brought back countless species from the Reach frontier worlds.

I hadn't encountered many since the Reach made sure to get rid of the dangerous species on their inner worlds, but others were far luckier. Thousands of invasive species had been sent back, and more than a few of them had managed to adapt to Planet Vegeta's intense gravity. Making Planet Vegeta far more dangerous in the outlands. For other saiyans, at least.

We touched down at a small jumping-off point before I realized something. I looked over at Vegeta as Kakarot grabbed the door handle, "Hey, when was the last time that you saw Mom-"

"Vegeta!" Mom shouted the moment that Kakarot threw open the door, nearly barreling over the smaller saiyan to grab Vegeta. Vegeta was so stunned he had the same reaction that I did years ago - he froze up in confusion, letting himself be picked up as Mom crushed him with a hug. "Oh, you've gotten so big! And strong! You're the strongest saiyan that's ever lived, and I'm so proud of you!"

"Wh-what?" Vegeta stammered out, and I wonder if it had been as funny for the others to see this done to me years ago before I got used to it. "What are you doing?" He forced out, looking panicked.

"Yeah, what are you doing Mom? I don't acknowledge him as my big brother," Elery pointed out as if that should change everything. If anything, it made Mom hug that much tighter and I'm pretty sure I just heard Vegeta's spine crack. I watched them for a second, but I noticed that Vegeta didn't push her away. He could, easily, but he didn't. And that said a lot, I think.

Instead, I turned to Matillo, who watched the scene with more than his fair share of amusement and a soft expression that almost looked out of place on his face. "Dad wants to see you and Mom. Its...pretty important stuff," I said, crossing my fingers that Mom didn't expect me to pass that message along that she wanted.

Matillo looked at me, the gentle expression falling. I'm guessing that he had an idea what this was about. "The current generation of saiyans are rather powerful, aren't they?" He said, confirming that he did know what it was about. If anything, I guess this was something he was more used to than not.

"They will be," I admitted.

"Hmph. If I have to see your dad, then Vegeta is coming with me. I haven't seen you in ages! I want you to tell me all about the fights you've been in. I bet some of them were great for you to get so big and strong," Mom said, making Vegeta look at me in panic. We both might be stronger than her, but both of us knew we wouldn't win that fight.

"We should be off, my queen. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting," Matillo said, offering me a nod that I returned. Mom turned to me, still clutching Vegeta in her arms. She opened her mouth to say something, only to cut herself off when her eyes landed on Elery. Then there was murder in her eyes.

"What happened?" She bit out, her gaze flicking between Elery's wounds. However, Elery was all too happy to show them off proudly.

"I got in a fight," She informed proudly.

"Did you win?" Mom asked, relaxing ever so slightly, just not enough to let Vegeta escape, even if he wanted to. She smiled back at Elery when her smile grew until it practically consumed her face.

"I did! I beat up a bunch of other kids that were beating up that guy, didn't I?" Elery said, turning to Kakarot to back her up. The younger saiyan look put out for a second, looking like he wanted to argue, but decided against it in favor of nodding in agreement. "And I have a rival now," Elery informed, puffing out her chest proudly. Mom flashed a grin as she nodded, accepting that.

"Good. Stay with your brother until I'm done dealing with the king...unless you want to- ah," Mom cut herself off when Elery started shaking her head. "Well, stay with your brother until we get back." She said, before she took off flying, Matillo quickly following after her. All the while, she began to pepper Vegeta with questions, and he was too stunned to think to escape.

"Um," a soft voice began. Looking over, I saw a saiyan woman with shaggy black hair, wearing light blue Frieza-force armor that formed a cone around her hips that spread out, going down to her knees. A hesitant smile was on her face as she looked between me, Elery and Kakarot. "You must be Prince Tarble. It's an honor to meet you, Bardock and Fasha have told me a lot about you."

"Eh, there's no need to be so formal Gine, Tarble couldn't care less about the prince stuff," Fasha spoke up from her chair. Gine looked at me for confirmation and got it. I never really cared about being a prince in the first place. I just wanted to call my family my family.

Looking back at her, I recalled the few snippets that heard about her. How she used to be on the team but quit because she was too soft-hearted and that she was Bardock's woman. Honestly, looking at her, that last part surprised me the most.

"Just call me Tarble," I said with a shrug before I turned my attention back to Elery and Kakarot. "Both of you, come over here. I'm going to fix you up," I told them. Elery walked over, but Kakarot waited for his mom to nod before he obeyed.

"I've been working on this technique for a while now, and while it's not complete just yet, it's more than enough to heal some scratches and bruises," I said before I held out a hand, the fingers curled, as I formed a ball of ki. Much like with the Power Ball, it emitted lightwaves, only instead of Blutz Waves, it sent out healing light. The modest home was bathed in faint purple light as I held the ball in front of them.

As if someone was turning the time backward, their injuries began to heal. The swelling faded, the cuts smoothed over and the bruises vanished. Elery and Kakarot marveled at their wounds as they steadily disappeared until the only traces of them could be seen in the damage to their clothing and bloodstains.

"Whoa!" Elery gushed, stretching out to find that her injuries were gone.

"How did you do that?" Kakarot asked, smiling as he jumped up and down, waving his arms around. It seemed that's all it took to get into his good graces because I could practically see him taking his walls down.

"I studied biology for a couple of years and discovered a light wavelength that accelerates healing. The body has these instructions called DNA, and it heals according to those instructions," I explained with some excitement. "In theory, I could use this to regenerate limbs if you expose it to a wound long enough at an intense enough level. The real issue is that healing drains stamina pretty badly, so it doesn't have much use during a fight. Yet."

Healing a fatal wound would leave the person being healed pretty much useless until they got some food and rest. Not only that, since the body only had so much to work with, but the saiyan would also be weakened for a time as well. They were kinks I was trying to work out, and I would, but the Medicine Ball was still a useful technique that did what I wanted - it was perfect for emergency first aid.

"Huh. You finally figured it out?" Faha asked, looking at the Medicine Ball until I ended the technique.

"For the most part. It isn't perfect. And I'm not sure if it would heal a broken bone, or try to regrow it, which would be bad. I wouldn't say it's complete yet, but I'm getting there," I answered with a lopsided grin. "But when I do...I'm going to make sure that everyone learns it. It's going to save a lot of lives on the frontlines."

Fasha let out a huff of laughter, "I guess our team is getting employees of the year for the twelfth year in a row." She said with some amazement, looking at her own hand to puzzle out the technique.

"Prince Tarble," Gine spoke up, gazing at me seriously, killing a response of she didn't need to call me prince. Her gaze shifted over to Kakarot, softening in a way that I've ever only seen Mom do before she looked back at me. "I know it's a sudden request, but it's almost time for this generation to leave Planet Vegeta to fight in the war...and I beg of you, please allow my son and I to accompany you."

Fasha was more surprised by the request than I was, "you want to go to war Gine? Are you sure? It's a lot worse than what we saw when we were kids," she warned but Gine didn't seem to hear her. She dropped into a bow, lowering her head as she awaited my answer.

I glanced over at Kakarot to see he was surprised and excited in equal measures.

Well...I guess I would be in command of ninety thousand and two soldiers.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	36. Touch of Mystery

"Your half is bigger," Elery pointed out, pointing at my third of a creature that smelled like it was going to taste delicious. I looked over at her third to see that it was the exact same size as mine. Just as both of ours were the same exact size as Kakarot, who was already chowing down on his, so they were the same size. I knew that because I was forced to carefully cut the beast up into equal thirds under Elery's watchful eye, else she would accuse me of taking the biggest piece for myself.

Swallowing a sigh that could have been a mouthful of meat cooked over a fire made from a couple of trees, I rolled my eyes upward to the black sky that was illuminated by millions of pricks of light. "Would you want to trade then?" I asked, choosing not to argue as I held the slab out to her. Elery thought about it for a moment before she answered by taking mine out from my hands and giving me hers.

Only to second guess the decision a moment later before she switched them again, apparently judging them by the weight. I waited a few seconds, wondering if she was going to stick with the decision and confirmed that she was when she started biting into the slab of meat, coating her face with grease. I took a much more subdued bite from my own, finding that it was as good as smelled.

We sat in front of a massive fire not too far away from Gine's house that cooked an equally massive beast. I got the impression that Fasha wanted to catch up with Gine, so I volunteered to leave with Kakarot and Elery to let them. Beyond the flames was the city, and beyond that was the royal palace. I wonder if I should have gone with Mom and Vegeta? The last time we were all in the same room together was when I just got out of the tank.

"Whew! That was so much tastier than I thought they'd be!" Kakarot explained, excitedly gnawing on a bone to get whatever flavor out that he could. "I've been trying to kill one since I got back, but that lizard thing kept almost killing me," he informed, the sounds of a crackling fire and crunching bone filled the silence. The animal itself was rather sizable, large enough that a dozen of us could be swallowed whole without any difficulty, so that didn't surprise me.

"Got back?" Elery echoed, looking over at Kakarot. "Did you go somewhere?"

Kakarot nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his forearm, patting his distended stomach happily. "I came back here a couple of years ago. I was an infiltration baby," he explained, making Elery cock her head to the side in confusion. Since she wasn't raised in a tank, there were a lot of gaps in her knowledge about the saiyan race. It was left to me to teach her what I knew.

Though, I didn't have any luck passing on my love for history with her. Yet. She was far more interested in the practical side of learning - how to fight, techniques, and so on.

"He was weak so he was sent off to a planet to conquer to prove his worth," I explained, making Kakarot scowl. "I was almost the same way, but I don't think I would have come back. Successful infiltration babies are really rare."

Elery gasped as she looked at Kakarot, "you've taken over an entire planet all by yourself?!" She gushed and I could practically see it in her eyes that she was picturing herself performing the same feat. Kakarot nodded, thinking nothing of it.

"Yeah, but I don't really remember it," he admitted. "There were these bug aliens or something, and I looked up at the moon and everything went black. When I woke up, they were gone." I decided to not say anything about that. I learned from Lord Frieza that Bardock specifically chose a weak planet for him to conquer.

I spared him a glance - I didn't have my scouter so I couldn't tell how strong exactly he was, but he felt weaker than Elery. And those kids that Elery was protecting him from. Which really raised the question of-

"Why were you fighting with those jerks?" Elery asked before I could mull the question over in my head to figure it out on my own. She took another large bite from her meal while Kakarot's face scrunched up.

"Because I want to get stronger," he admitted, "and they're some of the strongest. Dad says I should be careful about who I challenge, but...how can I ever get as strong as him if I'm being careful?" He grumbled more to himself than to us. I let out a small huff of laughter, disguising it as taking another bite of my meal. Kakarot glanced at me, his mouth open to speak, but he second-guessed himself.

I recognized it since I used to do the same. "If you want to ask something, then ask," I said, taking another bite. Kakarot looked surprised for a moment before he looked away, turning his attention to the beast we had slain.

"What's my dad like?" He asked in a quiet voice that was nearly lost in the crackling of the flames. "Mom just says that he's really strong and nice, but…" But Gine hadn't seen Bardock in six years.

In the end, it was rather easy to answer. "Back when Bardock was the team leader, he always felt like he had the answer to every problem. Me and the others, whenever things went wrong or we were over our heads, we would just turn to him instinctively for a solution. And we always expected him to have one, no matter how bad things got because he always did." I said, setting my slab of meat to the side, where it was promptly stolen by Elery.

"Really?" Kakarot asked eagerly, hanging on every word.

"Really. We believed in him completely because he never let us down. That's how much he inspired us," I explained. "He could be a real hardass at times - especially during our spars, but you knew that he was doing everything that he could to make sure that you improved just as much as him, even when he was kicking your teeth in." I glanced at Kakarot to see him grinning like a loon, trying to picture his father.

"On missions, he was serious, but between them, he was pretty laid back. He and Tora used to have drinking competitions or trying to out-eat Borgos. He never managed it, never even came close, but he didn't let that stop him from trying." Looking back at it, I regretted how few of those memories that I had. How I slept through them because I didn't know how to handle...people.

"Bardock...out of everyone I've met - Lord Frieza, or my Dad, I think he's the one that I respect the most," I told Kakarot. "And he gave me a saying that I try to follow - The mission, the team, then pride."

"Huh?" Kakarot asked, tilting his head in confusion, looked puzzled enough that there might as well be a giant question mark hanging over his head. "What does that mean?"

I let out a small huff of laughter, "you'll figure it out soon enough." I told him, which made him that much more confused. He opened his mouth to pester me, only to be cut off by Elery.

And in that moment, Elery put an end to his window to speak by kicking him in the face. Kakarot flew to the side, bouncing off the ground once before he righted himself. "What was that for?!" He shouted, his hands curling into fists as Elery settled in a stance.

"I wanna get stronger too!" She explained as if that was all she had to say. And, I guess it was because the anger melted from Kakarot's gaze, replaced with excitement. I took another bite of my meal as the two clashed in front of a roaring fire, the light from it made the shadows look that much darker at the edge of a forest we camped at.

I could feel animals lurking in the darkness, waiting for a chance to scoop one of them up to eat in a single bite. Worse, some of them were strong enough to manage it.

Kakarot had talent. Already he was adapting to Elery's hyper-aggressive fighting style, and while he hadn't managed to land a hit yet, that was more because of the gap in speed and strength than skill. Kakarot, likely by virtue of constantly fighting stronger opponents, already favored a defensive style. They were a good match in that regard - Elery would hopefully learn to not fight so aggressively or to attack in a way that it didn't matter. Likewise, Kakarot would learn how to strengthen his defense and when to attack.

Watching them carefully to ensure no predators would seize the chance to grab a bite-sized snack, I let my imagination wander. After we left Planet Vegeta...they were going to be soldiers. They were going to fight in war...and a shield world was on our shortlist of targets. As if right now, if either of them fought a scarab, then they were dead.

They needed the Wrath State, but it was currently useless to teach it to them. They needed other techniques to make up for their lack of strength. They…

A loud roar interrupted my thoughts and their fight. My gaze snapped up to the dark sky, searching for the source. It was outside of my range, but I could see a dark speck in the distance. "That roar," I muttered to myself, frowning at the spec. That roar sounded familiar.

"It's the Sky King!" Kakarot shouted with some nervousness that intermingled with excitement. I glanced at him as the dragon unleashed a roar that seemed to shake the planet itself.

"Sky King?" I echoed, following the spec that slowly grew larger in size. It was impossible to tell, but I felt it in my gut. I knew that roar. It was the same roar that I heard back when I first stepped foot outside of the Nursery. The dragon that attacked me and Leek. The dragon that forced me to fly, and nearly killed me if it wasn't for Vegeta. It had survived its wounds?

"It's a really big monster that's been attacking us for a while!" Kakarot explained, looking up at the dragon with a fierce expression. The dark sky was suddenly illuminated in a flash of light as the dragon shot a ki beam down at the ground before dive-bombing. "People are saying that it's the strongest monster on the planet, even the spaceships aren't a match for it! So, we've been trying to beat it ourselves...but everyone that's challenged it has died."

I mulled that over for a moment as the dragon picked up its dinner in its claws before flying off. From the shape of it, I'm guessing it was the same species that we just ate. That really put it in perspective just how huge it had gotten in the past six years.

"When you fight it, do you challenge it individually or in groups?" I asked, a plan forming in my mind. Kakarot looked at me as if I was asking him to share his half of a meal, and that was my answer.

We didn't have much time on Planet Vegeta, so we would have to make the most of it. Then we could take them to a weaker world, get them bloodied, and they would be as prepared for a shield world as they could be. Because, right now, they needed to learn how to survive on the battlefield more than they needed to win.

* * *

In front of me stood a hundred children, three of which I knew the names to. Elery, Olaive, and Kakarot. There were others that I recognized, like the ones that Elery had been fighting with, but the vast majority of them were fresh faces.

"My name is Prince Tarble, and soon you will all be marching to war under my direct command," I started, keeping my voice even but speaking loudly so my voice carried through the hard rock field we stood in. The sun was blazing overhead, baking us below - Planet Vegeta was a planet of extremes, and even I was feeling the heat, though I couldn't afford to show it. "Now, can any of you guess why I've called you here today?"

The hundred or so children looked around at each other, then at me, or at those that stood behind me. Fasha, Gine and Matillo.

A few long seconds passed and no one spoke.

"That wasn't a rhetorical question," I informed, my gaze drifting over them. Some shifted in place, standing in rows, but I knew better than to expect them to stand in a certain pose. They didn't have the discipline for that, and that wasn't the kind I wanted to instill in them.

"Because we're the strongest?" Someone asked, making another scoff.

"No, can't be. Kakarot's here!" Another dismissed, making Kakarot scowl. Before he could do anything about it, I continued.

"You're here because you all have the potential to become leaders," I said. Dad was serious about our first step forward away from being a slave race like so many others. Those that showed the most potential in the tanks were given tailor-made educations to turn them into leaders. Olaive was an example of that - there was a reason why she had a group of twelve following her around, and it wasn't just because of her strength.

Dad believed that the greatest weapon a saiyan had was their mind. And I agreed.

"You will be in charge of teams. Now, I want you to tell me what a team is," I ordered. Again, the silence was deafening as they looked around at each other. Even Elery looked a bit confused. I waited. And waited. And kept waiting and eventually they got the hint that I expected an answer.

"It's like the 501st, right?" Elery spoke up, shifting from foot to foot, looking put out at having to stand still and answer me in a way she wasn't used to. She looked uncertain, and that was a rarity for her. "A bunch of aliens work together since they're too weak to do things by themselves." There were murmurs of agreement and nodding.

I paused, looking at her for a long moment, and that's all I had to do to show that I didn't approve of that answer. She wilted slightly, which made me feel a bit bad, but I would feel a lot worse if she died.

"Is that so? Are you all in agreement?" I asked, turning my attention to all of them. This time the agreement was louder, more consistent, and more certain. "Well then, let's put that theory to the test then?" I said, my lips tugging upwards into a smile. I think I finally understood the smile that Mom gave me back when I was fresh out of the tank - the one that could be mistaken for kind. Because, in the end, it would be a lie to say that I wasn't looking forward to this a little bit.

They were the strongest of this generation and they were about to find out just how big the ocean really was.

"You have five minutes on the clock. If one of you can land a single hit on me, then I'll teach all of you the Spiral Buster," I said, raising my hand up high before I began to form the attack. Once the technique was ready, I paid close attention to their curious and stunned looks. I watched them become awed when I launched it at an outcrop stone formation some distance away. The spiraling blue ki drill slammed into the rock formation - the spiral buster was all about piercing power, so a perfect circle was drilled through the mountain like the dense stone wasn't even there.

Most looked awed. Olaive and Kakarot looked wary. Good.

"And...start," I said and those seemed to be the magic words because with that, a hundred children launched themselves at me. I batted a hand away, delivering a fist to the gut as I moved on to jerk my head to the side, dodging a roundhouse kick before I grabbed the offending leg to use the kid as a hammer against another three.

I blasted past Olaive and Kakarot, ignoring Elery's shouts of challenge as she gave chase. They attacked me in a giant wave of feet and fists, but I had all the time in the world to dodge out of the way. Each failed attack was punished with a devastating counter as I worked my way through the middle of them. I dodged a fist, grabbing the wrist of my attacker to drag him into the path of a girl's knee. In that same moment, I lashed out with a foot to plant it into another gut, folding her like a piece of paper.

Saiyans fought as individuals. It was not a hundred against one. It was one fighting a hundred people at the same time.

I heard a beep from the timer Matillo started, "four minutes left. Did I give you too much time?" I asked, looking down at the group. More than half of their numbers were down, and of that half that still wanted to fight, half of them were sporting wounds. Superficial ones but that was another problem that I needed to fix.

These were the strongest of this generation. They weren't used to feeling outmatched. They weren't used to getting the crap kicked out of them. They weren't used to digging deep and wanting to win so badly that you found ways to win no matter the odds. But that was okay.

They would learn.

Olaive hung in the back. Kakarot as well, Elery, however, rushed directly at me. And...this was my own fault, I realized. A wide grin was on her face, excitement danced in her eyes, and she didn't think for a single moment that she would fail.

"I'm going to learn that-gurk!" Elery gasped, cut off as I buried a fist in her gut. I...I loved my little sister, but I was hurting her by holding back. If she carried this attitude into a fight with a scarab, then she was dead. Elery collapsed, falling from the sky and landing heavily, clasping her stomach in pain.

And...just like that, my enjoyment vanished like smoke in the wind.

I moved, going on the offensive. It was then that Olaive sprung her trap. Her group of followers ran interference, while she tried to circle around for a sneak attack. Not bad. Kakarot, on the other hand, was aware of the plan even if he wasn't allowed in on it, but that didn't stop him from trying to take advantage. Both of them attacked from behind.

Twisting around, I caught their fists, their eyes going wide with surprise. Holding on, I twisted again in the air, using Olaive as a weapon and slammed her into one of her followers while I threw Kakarot at another. They weren't so weak-willed that they were out of the fight, but there wasn't much of a fight after that. I saw what I needed to see to make my decision.

It was still early, but Olaive and Kakarot would be my captains of my saiyan based army. They would have to grow into the role, but they were the only ones that realized what I was trying to show.

"Do you know why you couldn't even last two minutes?" I asked, forming a Medicine Ball in my hands before I tossed it upward. I was completely surrounded by the defeated children which had been so certain of their victory mere moments before. They looked in wonderment as their scrapes and bruises began to fade as the hard stone field was bathed in purple light.

This time, I didn't have to wait for an answer.

"We didn't work like a team," Olaive said, holding her arm until she realized she didn't feel any more pain in it.

I nodded, "because you didn't work as a team. If all of you had coordinated instead of rushing at me, then you might have had a chance. Instead, you fought as individuals and...in war, you'll die as individuals. A single scout class scarab could wipe all of you out. You are not strong. You are not invincible. And you will die if you try to fight like that in battle." I repeated the last point, looking at them all.

"Each of you was assigned to a group. I want you to stand with that group. Now," I added, my voice hard. They rushed to obey, not freed of their injuries, and within a few seconds, I had twenty groups of five. "Good. The group you are standing with is your team," I informed, causing them to look at each other. Kakarot got dirty looks, Elery looked confused, and Olaive looked confident.

"Teamwork is the combined effort of several people towards a singular goal. In time, you'll be learning exactly what that word means in combat, but for now, understand this - you are stronger together and weak alone," I stated, earning some sharp looks but I didn't mind them.

"With that in mind, in one week, before we leave for the front, I expect all of you to work together, as a team, to kill the Sky King," I stated. With those words, I felt the tension in the air as my expectations settled on them. "I will give you the tools that you need to do it. However, it falls to you to use them."

Slowly, I pointed upwards to the Medicine Ball, "that is the Medicine Ball. That is one of the techniques you'll be learning during the next week." At that, some of them perked up while Olaive looked hungry.

"One of them?" She questioned while Kakarot looked at the ball, trying to figure out how to do it just by looking at it.

"You will be learning five techniques during the week, all of them I have created specifically for you all," I informed. There was some amusement in how easily their expressions changed when they heard they would be learning techniques. Even Elery perked up a bit, her sullen expression vanishing at the idea.

Now, it was time to add the cherry on top. "And, should you prove successful, I will teach you the Wrath State." If they were excited before, then they were ecstatic now. "You'll learn one today, but if you fail to master it by tomorrow, then you'll keep practicing it while everyone else is learning the new one. However," I added, curbing their growing excitement, "you succeed and fail as a team in battle, and the same principle applies here. If one member of your group can't perform the technique, then none of that group will learn the technique."

Kakarot's group looked at him, making him curl his hands into fists. I heard Gine behind me let out a small breath. It seemed like I had to reiterate a point.

"Teamwork is the combined effort of several people towards a singular goal. For now, the goal is to learn this technique," I explained, looking at them all as I spoke to get the point across. The lesson was that they're supposed to help the members of their team that were struggling rather than kicking them while they're down.

And...if they couldn't learn that lesson, then I was just going to leave them here. I wasn't going to throw lives away - not just the ones that refused to learn teamwork, but the ones that they would inevitably get killed with them.

"This technique is called the Bubble Shield," I said, spreading my hands out. I based this one on the shield I saw Kaylark use. "You focus your ki like this; hmmm...then you spread it like this: hnnnn!" I explained, blue ki emerging from my hands that began to spread outwards while everyone watched in wonderment. "As you spread it, you shape it into a ball. So, think of the moon like this: Hm!" And with that, a round bubble shield of ki formed around me.

"That's the base of the technique," I continued. "But a shield is worthless if it breaks when something hits it. Gather your ki and reinforce, harden it like this: HNNNNN!" I didn't need to, but I showed the ki shield thickening to demonstrate what I meant. I held the technique for a few seconds before I dropped it and my hands.

"It's a defensive technique and when you use it, you won't be able to attack," I explained. To them, it sounded like a design flaw. However, if you were in a position that needed that technique then you weren't in a position to attack in the first place. Not to mention, it would promote teamwork among them - the ideal the team formation I was going for was three offense and two support with those roles changing on the fly.

"Tomorrow, I'll test your shields myself," I informed as I floated upwards as I felt a presence enter my range. I looked down at all of them - children that I had to turn into soldiers, just as I was. Already they started practicing, some finding more success than others. Matillo, Fasha, and Gine would serve as overseers and discourage conflict between teams.

I cracked a smile when I saw Kakarot and Elery have the most success before I turned my attention upwards. I turned to Dad, who watched the children with his arms crossed. When I requested information on them, he hadn't given his opinion on the idea, but looking at him, I thought he approved of it.

"That was well handled, my son," Dad said, his gaze drifting down to Mom for a moment before it settled at me. Mom had stayed at the castle last night, so I'm guessing that they- or, rather, Mom wasn't mad anymore. Though, it didn't seem that they were talking.

My smile grew at the praise - it was weird receiving it from him. With Mom, I just kinda got used to it and how overbearing it could be. Dad was different in that regard. They were simple, to the point, and you knew he meant them because otherwise, he wouldn't have said anything.

"Thank you. Olaive and Kakarot show the most promise, but we'll see how long that lasts. Others could step up to the plate," I responded, looking down. "But, if they learn, then I have a good feeling about all of them."

"It bears considering if your lessons should be included in the gestation tank," Dad remarked, earning a surprised look from me. "What you're suggesting is against our instincts, but you aren't wrong to do so. Rather having them unlearn habits, the next generation could have that inclination to teamwork to start with." I considered that for a moment, looking down at the kids below.

I've always known that there was some level of brainwashing going on with the tank. I noticed it most back when I was fresh out of the tank and it was a tug of war between my saiyan nature and human inclinations. Even now, there were a few holdovers from my previous life. That, however, caught me off guard.

"Is that possible?" I questioned, making Dad frown ever so slightly as he looked down at the children learning. It deepened further when Kakarot was the first to succeed, even if it was only for a moment. From what Matillo told me, we hadn't always been so individualistic, but...to brainwash a generation to be more cooperative…

"It is," Dad answered. "Children's minds are malleable. When they're exposed to concepts early, it can change their perception. It's too late for this lot, but if we expose the next generation to the concept of teamwork early, they won't struggle with it." Then he let out a small huff of laughter, "it's especially too late for old men like me."

I didn't like it. Just...changing the nature of our race for convenience...but wasn't that also a good thing? If the next generation learned early the value of teamwork, just as I had, wouldn't that save lives? Wouldn't the saiyan race be stronger for it?

"Okay," I agreed with a nod. I didn't like it, and I never would, but what I liked or wanted didn't matter.

"Good. I'll inform Thyme," Dad said before he turned to me, the edge of his lips curling upwards into a smile. "Before that, it is time that you learn your birthright. The Galick Gun," Dad informed, explaining his presence here. Only Vegeta's warning that he would teach me stopped my eyes from bugging out.

I returned the sharp grin, "I can't wait." I spared one last glance at the ones below before I blasted off with Dad.

* * *

It was only when we flew over a grand desert with large dunes as far as the eye could see that I realized that this was the first time in my life I would have a one on one time with my dad. The few times I saw him, it was either with the rest of the family, or when I was being debriefed with my team. Oh...and there was yesterday when he informed me of an ancient plot to usurp Frieza's place in the Trade Organization, but Vegeta was there with me.

"This is the spot," Dad said, angling down as we sailed by a sand dune the size of a mountain. On the other side of it, however, was an ancient temple that was half-buried beneath the ocean of sand. I perked up, narrowing my eyes as I took in the ancient stone towers, some broken laying in the sand, which led up to a temple-like building.

I said temple-like because it was made of hard stone but it had aged poorly over however long it had been here. Cracks, the ceiling had collapsed, more than a little of it was buried in sand, and it looked like it had been in the unforgiving sun for hundreds of years without rest. Dad touched down at the entrance, giving me a moment to take it all in.

"For you to understand the Galick Gun, you must learn what it means for the royal family," he said, catching my attention before she strode into the temple. I followed after him, my eyes adjusting to the low light easily enough. I almost expected there to be carving on the inside of the temple, to show some kind of history or explanation why this place was here, but there wasn't anything. Just smoothed walls and a lot of sand.

That was until Dad walked into the center of the room, stepping up three round platforms placed on top of each other to serve as steps. He knocked some sand away to grab a handle in the center of the smallest platform before he twisted and pulled. A pillar came up first before a loud hiss of hair blasted away grains of sand as the platforms began to rise.

"This place," Dad began, turning to me as a staircase was revealed, "is where our people first landed on Planet Vegeta. The building was placed here to mark its place," he explained before he began to walk down the steps. I eagerly followed, looking around at the carved brick. I felt a hum of excitement travel through me. Learning subjects like math and biology made me appreciate learning history that much more. Mostly because I actually liked learning history.

This place, these bricks...they not only were they the first examples of saiyan construction, but they were one of the only examples. Even now, we live in the hollowed husk of the Truffle cities, slowly filling them up but it would be dozens of generations before we manage to fill them all up.

The steps led us down into a cavern. For a moment, it was so dark that I was going to use a minor Solar Flare to see. Before I could, lights flickered to life, illuminating the cavern. Some of it was a natural formation, but most of it was man-made. Cut stone was supported by metal, blending natural formations with man-made supports until the cavern itself was roughly a couple of hundred yards long and about a hundred wide.

Dad didn't stop walking down the steps, but I did. Because in the center of the cavern was a ship. It took the shape of a ring, hovering over the ground silently. The outside was a metallic gray without any seams or light, almost as if it were made of a single piece of metal. If it wasn't for the dust that had gathered on it, I would have thought it was staying perfectly still, but it was steadily spinning in place.

"This is the ship that brought the saiyan race to this planet,' Dad informed, coming to a stop and it was only then that I realized he left me behind. I hurried down, nearly tripping over my feet as I took the ship in. I've never seen anything like it before. It was fairly large, just large enough to fit in a population of saiyans to prevent the entire species from dying off.

This wasn't made by us. That much was obvious. "Do we know anything about it?" I asked, coming to a stop next to Dad.

"Nothing," Dad admitted. "All we know is that the ship was found when Sadala was being destroyed by the Legendary Super Saiyan if you believe the legends," he said, sounding like he didn't. "In all likelihood, the Wrath State was the basis for that legend."

I shook my head, "it's not." I knew that it wasn't. "Based on what Matillo told me, it sounds like Sadala was destroyed in a fight. On accident, even. The Wrath State is only a ten times multiplier, so unless the saiyans on Sadala were much stronger than we are now, there's no way they could destroy a planet on accident with the Wrath State." I argued, making Dad frown in thought as he mulled that over.

"Hm. And we know that's not the case since our people have only grown stronger since landing on Planet Vegeta. So there might be some truth to the legends after all," Dad muttered to himself as he turned his attention back to the ship. "However, regardless of what happened to Sadala, it is lost to us. The only thing we know of the ship is two things - it was found as our people fled the destruction and the second is this."

King Vegeta raised a hand and a dark red ki blast formed in his palm before he launched it at the ship. The ki ball slammed into it and simply vanished. A shield of some kind?

"The second part is this - the origin of the Galick Gun is a lie," Dad informed. "Its exact origin has been forgotten, but we have no ancestor named Galick. Now, watch," Dad settled in a wide stance, his one palm facing outwards as the other cupped around the back of that hand. "First, you gather the energy in your palm like this: Hm!" He started as I watched with rapt attention as his red ki gathered.

"The nature of the attack is unstable, but you must control it like this: HN!" He continued, his expression tightening before the red ki in his outward-facing palm began to grow, arcs of red electricity cackling. "Feed more power into it until you feel as if you're going to lose control of the technique entirely, and when your control begins to slip you fire it like this: AHHHH!" King Vegeta shouted before he thrust his palms outwards, launching the ki attack at the ship, the cavern dyed red as arcs of electricity were drawn towards the metal in the room.

This time the ki didn't simply vanish. The surface of the ship rippled like water, taking in the attack and...something changed. The surface changed, almost as if it were taking a different shape, only to give up halfway. When Dad ended the attack, the ship returned to the ring shape, the only signs anything had changed was the lack of dust on some parts.

"The Galick Gun is a key created when our race lived on our home planet," Dad said, crossing his arms as he glared hard at the ship like it had insulted him personally. "But it's incomplete. Either the technique is, or there's another step to activating the ship that we have forgotten."

Dad turned to me, his expression grave. "Much was lost to us when the saiyan race fled Sadala. More than just our pride. This ship represents the only way we can possibly find the planet again," he informed, settling a hand down on my head, his dark eyes hard. "All of our family has attempted to activate the ship, but none have succeeded. And now, my son, it is your turn."

With that, Dad stepped back and let me make my attempt. I looked at the ship, trying to perceive its secrets by staring at the surface of it. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. So, slowly, I mimicked the pose that Dad made and began to channel my ki, all the while my mind raced about what I had just learned.

That ship was the way to find Sadala. Our home planet. And...I wanted to see it. I had to.

It was years, but I still remembered those few moments when a saiyan with an aura of shimmering red stood before me. At the time, I was distracted by the whole 'nearly bisected' thing, but now I had time to think about it, I realized something. The saiyan wasn't wearing Frieza-force armor. He was wearing bone and cloth.

I think he was a saiyan from Sadala. How he was able to contact me, I didn't know, but this ship was my way to learn.

As I channeled the ki, instantly I noticed how unstable the technique was. As I compressed the ki, it tried to blow up in my hands like a hand grenade, but my control was refined by my training with Matillo. I kept a tight grip over the technique, pouring more and more and more into it as blue lightning cackled in the palm of my hand. The bolts of lightning didn't vanish in a flash of light - they carved lines into the stone as they were dragged to pieces of metal.

I pushed more and more and more into it, and right when it felt like I was about to lose control of it, I launched it at the ship. The blast of ki slammed into its surface, stronger than Dad's. Lines began to form on the surface, the featureless ship gaining segmented parts as the metallic sheen began to glow. I pushed more and more and more into it...but...it wasn't enough.

As my attack tempered off, the changes faded. Within a second, the ship returned to its original shape. That...was a powerful attack to start with. I could have gone to my Wrath State, but I was afraid of destroying it...but…

"You are still young. You have another six years until your growth spurt. You may try again then. You'll be stronger," Dad said, nodding at me and smiling at my obvious disappointment. I nodded in reluctant acceptance before he led us out of the cavern.

As we left, I cast one last look at it, it's unchanged surface mocking me as I mulled over the problem and the technique.

There was a piece missing, and I vowed to find out what it was. And one day, I would find out who that saiyan was.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	37. Touch of Power

Things were changing again, Matillo thought as he watched over the hundred children as they struggled to understand the teachings that Prince Tarble was trying to impart. Oh, they learned the techniques easily enough, especially Kakarot, who was rapidly becoming the envy of the class, but only a few seemed to understand what exactly Prince Tarble was trying to teach them.

Teamwork. Such a foreign concept for the saiyan race. As far as Matillo was aware, only three saiyans had ever managed to learn the value of it - King Vegeta the First, Bardock and now Tarble was added to that shortlist. Bardock might be a snot-nosed brat with delusions of grandeur, but he was a legend in his own right. And King Vegeta the First went without saying.

Matillo let out a soft sigh, glad for his old bones to be back underneath proper gravity, rather than that weak garbage other planets offered. His bones ached under the pressure for a time before they remembered how to handle it - it seemed that he had grown soft in a way, despite his slow increase in power. Matillo had never learned his power level before he left his prime, but he liked to think he was nearing the strength he had in his heyday.

His attention was drawn to Olaive, who glared at Kakarot in a way that lacked any real heat. He waited for that moment, wishing that he could push them in the direction that Prince Tarble wanted them to go in, but this was something that they had to learn on their own at their own pace. Matillo saw her face twist up, warring with herself.

He understood it. Matillo had struggled with it when King Vegeta the First had tried to impart the same lesson onto him when the Truffles had ruled this planet. It wouldn't be wrong to say it was against their nature, even back then. Now...now Matillo was forced to wonder if it was possible at all.

Matillo clenched his hands into fists, ever muscle going taunt, waiting for her to come to a decision. Olaive's face twisted like she ate something sour as she watched Kakarot form perform the technique - the Medicine Ball. It was a complicated technique, but the trick was in the intensity of the purple light rays that made it work. They didn't need to study for years to complete it, and it was a true shame that they would never understand the effort Prince Tarble put into creating that technique that he so freely gave away.

Olaive's shoulder slumped in defeat before her feet carried her toward Kakarot, who rubbed his success in the face of his peers. It was detrimental but understandable. Kakarot was weak in the world of the strong - Matilo couldn't imagine that he had many chances to prove himself superior to his peers.

"Oi, idiot," Olaive spoke, biting the words out. "Show me how you do that so easily," she demanded, making Kakarot's face twist. Matillo tried to pretend he wasn't eagerly watching the interaction - this was the moment. Olaive took the first step, and now it was Kakarot's turn to meet her halfway.

For a long moment, it seemed like Kakarot wouldn't. He glared back at her, his expression sullen, but then he nodded. "Only if you let me go hunting with you the next time you guys go," he bartered. "And I want the biggest piece."

Olaive tsked to herself, but she nodded all the same. A simple interaction, but an important one. Those that looked at Olaive or Kakarot noticed the exchange as Kakarot began to offer advice. Then they looked at others, both who had success and those that didn't.

Matillo sighed in contentment. "Things are changing again," he said, speaking his earlier thought aloud as he gazed upward at the sky above, the planet in the system dominating the skyline.

He was old. Over a thousand years old. Matillo watched his people go from warring tribes to a united front against the Truffles. There had been so much hope when they had conquered them, claiming Planet Plant as their own and renaming it Planet Vegeta. They learned the Truffles technology, adapting to it, then turned their gazes to the stars above.

They found a weak species hardly fit for eating, but they offered goods in exchange for a planet better suited for them. It was only because of King Vegeta the First that they accepted at all - they had no use for wealth beyond decoration, but their first king said that they should. Most had thought that would be the birth of the saiyan empire...and it so nearly was.

But most didn't know King Vegeta as Matillo had. It wasn't the desire for glory that motivated him but the desire for knowledge. Even back then, he had understood that the saiyan race was not peerless in the universe. Something that was made all too apparent when King Cold had arrived on their planet and demanded their surrender. A simple case of bad luck - King Cold himself was in the area when news reached him of the exchange.

Since then, the Saiyan race had changed. The united tribes were gone, vanished entirely. Each warrior fought for themselves and their own glory, nothing else. Mothers cared nothing for their children or any children at all. Three hundred years passed by so very quickly, but the saiyan race was nearly unrecognizable compared to what it was.

And, to his shame, he had done nothing. Matillo hadn't realized it for over three hundred years, but he might as well have been standing still for those centuries. He was stuck, unable to move on from the death of his friend and king. He simply went through the motions of being a warrior - and barely one at that. Matillo couldn't recall one notably powerful opponent he fought in this century.

Matillo sighed, taking in a deep breath as he could feel life being breathed back into the saiyan race and himself. Things were changing. Much like they had with King Vegeta the First, and it was fitting that his descendent was doing the same-

"Oi, old guy," one of the children shouted at him, kicking his shin to get his attention. Matillo looked down to see it was a child with hair sticking straight up. He recognized the hairstyle, even after centuries. A descendant of his old rival. "Is Prince Tarble really Prince Tarble?" The child asked as if that question made any amount of sense. Then he recalled that show Elery seemed to enjoy so much.

"What makes you doubt that he is?" Matillo questioned, looking down at the small group of children.

"Prince Tarble wears a mask and has a cape," the lead child stated as if that was all the evidence he needed. "And that little girl keeps saying that he just likes to pretend that he's Prince Tarble, and he makes you all go along with it because he's stronger than you."

Matillo smiled, "then can you really trust anything I say? I could be lying," Matillo pointed out, making the children's eyes widen in shock, clearly having never considered it.

"See? See? I told you!" Elery shouted, puffing her chest out with pride. She flew over, choosing to clean to his shoulder as if he were a stead and pointed down at the group of children. "My brother isn't the prince Tarble. They just have the same name." Matillo swallowed a laugh as the group of children nodded along - some appeared more doubtful than others, but they seemed convinced.

For now at least. Matillo doubted that notion would continue once they saw the prince fight. In their history, Prince Tarble and Prince Vegeta fought for the strongest Saiyan there had ever been and each time they one-upped each other, that ceiling grew higher. It was a sobering thought given that both boys were years away from seeing their final growth spurt.

"Whatcha thinking about Old Man?" Elery asked as Matillo turned his attention back to the children. Matillo didn't comment on the nickname of him - for one, it wasn't exactly untrue, and it would be a lie to say that he didn't like it a little bit.

"How your brother reminds me of King Vegeta the First," Matillo admitted.

"Hm. Whose that?" Elery asked, making Matillo go still before he recalled that Elery never received an education in a tank. "And why is he like my brother- wait, that's that guy my brother was going to talk to the other day! Or that other Vegeta."

"No. King Vegeta the First was the first King Vegeta. He had a son, also named Vegeta, just as he named his son Vegeta and the current King Vegeta named his eldest Vegeta, which makes him Vegeta the Fourth." Matillo explained, glancing at Elery, who looked like she was trying to wrap her head around it.

"That's a lot of Vegetas," she decided after a moment. "But what's the first one got to do with my brother?"

Matillo chuckled at her easy dismissal as he continued to watch the next generation of saiyans learn. And struggle. And, in time, they would grow, mate and the next generation would be born. Their path forever changed due to the actions of a small boy.

"I was thinking how alike but different they are," Matillo stated. "Your brother is very reserved and stoic, but King Vegeta the First was rather loud. And dramatic." Enough so that his signature cape flair was deemed important enough that four generations learned it. "They...probably couldn't be more different in personality, but they remain very similar in action."

There were moments where it felt like he was back at the head of his tribe and one of the women brought in Vegeta for the first time. Matillo hadn't thought anything of him for a long time, but King Vegeta the First made it a habit of surprising people.

"Hm," Elery grunted, not interested in the ramblings of an old man, unlike her brother. "Where is my brother anyway? I still want him to teach me the Spiral Buster," Elery stated in a hungry tone. It seemed that not only she, but nearly every child of this generation was rather taken with that technique. And if enough of them asked, then it would only be a matter of time before Prince Tarble taught them it.

Matillo didn't quite agree with the idea of so freely sharing techniques, but things had changed already. The tribes of yesteryear were gone, and it was he that had to adapt to the current reality. As he considered the question, his gaze drifted towards the direction that Prince Tarble was. Far off in the distance, his scouter picked up two power levels that would have been inconceivable only a handful of years ago.

180,000 and 240,000.

"Your brother is sparring with Prince Vegeta," Matillo answered as his gaze drifted back to the group of children. Some were making more progress than others while some were forced to practice the ki blades from yesterday. They were all taking the training seriously because all of them wanted to learn the Wrath State, but they needed more than a treat at the end of a stick to lead them where Prince Tarble wanted them to go. They needed a push in the direction as well.

"We should go see him," Matillo decided, looking at the few others that were tasked with wrangling the children to make sure they stayed on task. Fasha was making an effort to teach while Gine was having far more success. Matillo thought she was far too soft-hearted to be called a warrior, and it could prove disastrous on the battlefield, but he kept such thoughts to himself. By now, Prince Tarble had more than earned his trust.

Gine seemed to notice his gaze, meeting it steadily but questioningly. At the very least, she had a spine, even if her heart was too soft.

"We are going to watch the princes' spar. The children should see who will be leading them into battle," Matillo decided for them. Luckily, Queen Teach wasn't here to overrule the decision. Prince Tarble had given her another task - a vague excuse to separate her from the children. A saiyan mother's instincts to adopt children were strong and never before had there been so many of them.

"Really?! Awesome!" Eley cheered, flying upward. The other children glanced at him, excitement dancing in their eyes.

"They're really going at it. Are you sure that they won't kill us by mistake?" Fasha commented, earning a lingering glance from Matillo. He could hear what she really meant - that Prince Vegeta would attempt to kill them with a stray blast. By now, it was no secret about the animosity between the royal family and what was once Bardock's team. Matillo had suspicions at what caused it, but he held his tongue until he was certain.

"I doubt Prince Tarble would allow anything like that to happen," Matillo returned. Fasha considered it, glancing at Gine, who looked between them questioningly before giving a hesitant nod.

A small smile tugged at Gine's lips as she turned her gaze to the children who increasingly grew excited at the prospect while arguments of if Prince Tarble was the real Prince Tarble grew more heated. "I think it would be a good idea to see if Prince Tarble is really as strong as the shows make him out to be," Gine said, speaking softly to the children than to either of them. Fasha sighed before she nodded, agreeing.

With that, all of them drifted upwards before they blasted off towards where the princes were sparring. A vast desert that claimed a large portion of a continent. The children grouped up - sticking to the teams that Prince Tarble had placed them in. Part of their training was to fly together in teams, so this would be good practice, Matillo decided.

The only one that didn't was Elery, who chose to cling onto his back. They were greatly slowed down by the speed of the children, but it was necessary. A great many predators inhabited the sky, with this so-called Sky King the strongest among them, but there were plenty of others that were more than a challenge for the children. They would be expected to survive on their own strength soon enough, but for now, they had to be protected.

Every saiyan is born weak at the start. There was no better example than Prince Tarble.

However, soon enough, they reached the edge of the great desert that served as a training ground for the princes. His scouter said that they were a considerable distance away, but he saw evidence of their latest bout already. Dunes collapsed into nothing, holes that slowly filled up as sand trickled down and glass where the discharged lightning from a Galick Gun.

He slowed, peering off into the distance to see flashes of light from two techniques. Matillo sent a quick message to Prince Tarble, alerting him of their presence, but he didn't need to. Prince Tarble seemed to have an uncanny ability to notice people without using his scouter - undoubtedly an ability that he chose not to share. Yet, at any rate. Matillo was glad for it - it would be one of the greatest tragedies if Prince Tarble gave a rival the techniques to best him because he was too generous.

Matillo didn't receive a reply, but they continued forward anyway. Until they stood at the very edge of the battle waged between the princes. Matillo grinned as the children lined up to watch, and he heard Elery gasp in his ear.

"Bear witness to the power of the royal family," he spoke, his words nearly lost in a wave of wind that blasted through a sand dune.

Perhaps King Vegeta's flair for the dramatics had rubbed off on him.

* * *

There was a critical difference between Vegeta and I. It wasn't our power levels, or how we fought. It's what we were. I had to crawl my way up from the bottom over the course of my life, whereas Vegeta had been born at the top.

The others had teased that I was a freak of nature, but Vegeta was more so than me. Because, unlike me, he was a natural prodigy that came once in a lifetime.

"You mastered the Wrath State," I realized as we clashed above a sand dune, blasting is apart from the force of our blows. Vegeta smirked, his eyes blazing yellow, visible because I broke his scouter earlier, as his fists flew. I blocked them, diverting them when I could, and waited for an opening. My blood hummed in my veins - after so many years of fighting scarabs, fighting a powerful opponent that wasn't a scarab was enough to get my heart thumping.

"Of course I did," Vegeta stated easily, ducking under a kick to my head, only to block another foot that rushed to his face with his forearm. "I'm not like the other trash you're used to fighting beside," Vegeta scoffed as he lashed out with a fist, that I caught, diverting it away from my body as I tried to slam a knee into his face.

The Wrath State was something I had given a lot of thought about the past couple of days as we neared the deadline I had established. In the end, my thoughts on how I was going to keep this Broly fellow hidden led me to how I could put safety breaks into the Wrath State. I had attempted to explain to the others how to separate themselves from the rage and pain but they didn't have any luck with it.

And, even now, I doubted that Vegeta had managed the same feat. What I went through when I was in the tank was simply too unique for others to replicate.

However, what it meant was that Vegeta had mastered the Wrath State by crushing the pain and the rage, to remain in control with sheer force of will.

A fierce grin tugged at my lips as I threw myself into the fight. I darted forward, jabbing at him, only for him to divert the attack and following it up with an elbow aimed at my eye. I caught it with my forehead instead, aiming to bury a fist in his gut, only for his other hand to stop my attack cold. Blood dripped down from my forehead, but so long as it didn't get into my eyes, then I didn't care.

I broke off, ki flooding towards my hands as I became aware of Matillo's presence some distance away. Along with Fasha, Elery and the other kids. A message made itself known, but I didn't read it in favor of powering up a Kamehameha. Vegeta did the same, however dark purple arcs of electricity escaped his palms as he prepared a Galick Gun.

Gritting my teeth, I put my all into it and launched it at my brother Just as he did me. Our attacks clashed in the air, a mighty explosion blasting away the light sand as both of us struggled to overcome the other. I poured everything that I had into it, but it was no use. Vegeta was simply stronger than me, so overpowering him wasn't an option.

Instead, I rushed forward, near where the attacks clashed - Vegeta must have noticed something was going on because he poured even more power into the attack. In response, I abandoned mine as I spun out of the way, the Galick Gun sailing by me. I saw Vegeta's eyes widen a moment before I was upon him, planting a fist into his stomach.

He countered by punching me in the face, but I accepted the teeth-rattling blow, pulling to the side just fast enough to avoid the full force of it. As I did so, I spun sharply, lashing out with a foot that caught him in the face, flattening his nose.

Despite the blood that flowed from his nose, Vegeta smiled viciously. From there, the fight only grew more intense.

We clashed, mindful of our watchers, but we held nothing back. Vegeta was stronger than me, and he leveraged his strength well. I was better at leveraging mine and I had more than a few tricks up my sleeve. Even still, the fight was close and I wasn't able to rely on waiting for the timer to run out like I had previously counted on.

I blocked a hit from Vegeta, grunting as his fist slammed into my forearm that sent me flying. I sailed backward, slamming through a sand dune hard enough that it felt like it was solid. As sand obscured me for a moment, I left behind a ball of ki. And, as Vegeta rushed to press the advantage, I detonated it with a thought.

Sand exploded outward, obscuring Vegeta for a moment but that didn't matter for me. Pushing my hands at my side, lightning cackled to my side as I flooded ki into my palm. It was quick and fast, but that's how a Galick Gun did its best work, I'm learning. Blue lightning arcked out, slamming into the sand dunes around me, turning wherever they touched into glass. Gritting my teeth, I launched the technique at Vegeta in the split second that he was obscured.

The technique slammed into him, knocking him back. I felt his presence waver for a moment, telling me that I had managed to do damage. Only for it to be my turn to be surprised. Vegeta's presence grew stronger, jumping strength as my Galick Gun was pushed to a halt before it was knocked to the side. I barely paid any mind to the following explosion, only that it didn't come anywhere close to where everyone was.

Vegeta blasted back the lingering sand and dust in the air, revealing himself. His body was coated in an aura of green, his body already showing signs of growing while veins bulged in his neck and forehead. He looked down at me, his expression one of triumph and I realized that there was good reason for it. I didn't need the scouter to do the math.

360,000. Over a quarter of a million.

"You figured out the second stage of the Wrath State," I said, bracing myself for what came next. Vegeta answered by flexing his power, it washed over me like a wave as the air stirred.

"From the sound of it, you discovered it first," Vegeta said, a barely repressed scream in his voice but he kept himself in check. He took his stance - one hand out while the other was held out in front of him. Perfect for quick switches between offense and defense. I noticed he sounded faintly disappointed.

I grinned as I took in a deep breath and pulled from the well of power that was the oozaru and pushed it past its limits. My hair drifted upwards, an aura of green coating my body as my bones ached under the strain. Even after two years, using the second stage felt absolutely hellish and I could feel my body cracking under the strain already.

"I did. Back on Rench. I just can't use it very well because of my body," I bit out, my lips curling back into a wide smile that my brother matched. It was hard to tell, but Vegeta did seem like he had an easier time with the second stage, which gave me hope that I would be able to use it once I had my first growth spurt. I could only hope that I got mine early as Vegeta did.

"Then we should end this quickly," Vegeta decided.

And then we clashed above the desert and it was as if the planet itself shook.

I wasn't going to be able to overpower him. It couldn't be done before, and it was flat out impossible now. I had to pull out every trick up my sleeve.

Ki blades formed around my hands as I sent a slash at him, which he dodged out of the way as he rapidly closed the distance between us. I blocked a jab that he launched at my face, catching it with my forearm. It didn't snap under the blow, which was a promising sign, but as I blocked it, I grabbed hold of the ki slash that I had sent and started angling it to the right.

My ki control grew in leaps thanks to Matillo's training and advice, but it looked like my complete control over a sent out attack was a pipedream. Once it was shot, it was next to impossible to control how I wanted it to, but, at the very least, I could angle it a little bit one way or the other.

All the while, I built up a ki breath attack in my mouth, lashing out at Vegeta with a flurry of swipes that he dodged and blocked with ease. His smile grew as he seized an opening, planting a fist in my gut, and I took that moment to unleash the ki breath attack into his face. It slammed into Vegeta's face like a brick, knowing him back. I used the opportunity to dodge to the side when he lashed out, the smile falling to be replaced with a snarl.

I had a head start, but Vegeta was simply faster than me, so he closed it in no time. I let the ki blades fade into nothing, still guiding that attack as I led us to it. However, since my attention was split, I found a fist buried in my gut. I folded around the fist, grunt in pain, but refusing to let go of the ki slash. Even when Vegeta raised his hands and brought them down onto my back and sent me flying into the ground.

Vegeta sent me flying through a sand dune before I found myself buried underneath, shooting beneath the surface as if it were water. Holding my breath gathered my ki and sent the ki slash towards Vegeta. It slammed into his back, distracting him, but not much else. He'd be pissed at me for pulling my punches, but I'd rather he be pissed than bisecting him on accident.

Even still, that gave me a fraction of a second. With a Hellzone Grenade prepped, I flexed my power and sent the mountain of sand that covered me flying outward. As the sand and dust bloomed, I used the cover to send hundreds of balls of ki upward, punching through the cloud - each one was large enough that they would be able to hurt Vegeta, if only a little.

"You...can sense me?" Vegeta questioned, eyeing the attacks that allowed me to take control of the skies. Now I controlled the battleground and the past two years leading the 501st taught me how valuable that was. "And you can manipulate your attacks after you send them." The last one was a statement of fact.

"Do you want me to teach you?" I asked, ki gathering in my hands. Vegeta scoffed at my offer as he did the same.

"As if," Vegeta dismissed as lightning gathered in his palms as it did mine. We gathered our ki, pushing out control to its absolute max. However, Vegeta's control was far less fine than mine, even in this form. His dark purple Galick Gun launched at me and in that moment, I sent every ki blast that hovered above in the way.

For a moment, the world was nothing by light and noise. Only for the noise to become a high pitched ringing as my eardrums gave out as heat washed over me. The only thing that I was aware of was that I was still alive, and so was Vegeta. My attacks had detonated his attack prematurely, buying me a few seconds to continuously gather my ki-

Vegeta moved, darting down through the explosion and my eyes barely had a moment to widen before he emerged directly in front of me. I reacted instantly, throwing out my hands to launch the attack but- but, at this distance, it could kill him. Instead, I aimed it at the ground the same moment his fist collided with my face.

I didn't lose consciousness, but it was a near thing. The only thing that prevented me from blacking out as an explosion racked the planet from a full-powered Galick Gun was the certainty that if I didn't keep up the second stage of the Wrath State, then I would die. I accepted the pain, heat washing over me as I was thrown in some direction, only able to orientate myself by the reassuring presence that I felt. Vegeta was still alive too, and so were the others that watched the fight.

When things settled down, I found myself half-buried in sand, face down so more than a little was filling my mouth. "Hnn...ugh…!" I groaned, pulling myself out of the sand, spitting it out as I shook my head to displace whatever was resting on me. A lot of it stuck to me because of sweat and blood, but other than a few injuries, I was mostly fine. Nothing that a Medicine Ball couldn't fix at any rate.

"You held back," Vegeta accused, having recovered first. He looked a little roughed up, more than me at any rate since I had managed to land a few more attacks than him.

"The only way I could have beat you was to kill you, and I'm not going to do that," I answered. Vegeta scowled at that, glaring hard at me, but he stopped himself when he let out a huff. I felt like I should say something, but I was unsure of what. I took too long and the moment passed. Instead, I formed a Medicine Ball and tossed it overhead so it could heal both of us. All the while, I glanced around us to survey the damage.

It was difficult to tell with just how much sand and dust was in the air, but we stood at the edge of a massive crater that was slowly filling up with sand. I looked at it for a moment, mulling something over before I let the Medicine Ball fade away once our wounds were done healing. Then I performed a self-scan.

19,080. Over a thousand point jump from a spar. It had taken me months of fighting saibamen to earn half that same amount.

"Vegeta...you figured it out too, haven't you?" I asked, looking at my brother. His scowl lessened as he glanced my way, his gaze lingering on my scouter before he gave a slow nod.

"I noticed it during the past couple of years. My largest jumps in power only came when I was heavily injured from fighting a powerful opponent. That, and the stronger I become, the larger the jumps in power become," Vegeta answered, confirming what I had noticed. There was no way that I couldn't notice after I had crawled my way up from the lowest of the low-class. Nor how I watched my team's power levels steadily climb upward.

I continued to look at the massive crater, feeling the presence of the others nearing to check-in. "Our bodies adapt rapidly in response to opposition. That's how our race managed to adapt to standard gravity to ten times the galactic standard. The more we're injured, the more our bodies can build themselves back stronger than before."

"Which is why you created the Medicine Ball," Vegeta hazarded a guess. And he wasn't wholly wrong, so I nodded since I knew he wouldn't understand that my motivation had also been to prevent our troops from dying pointlessly. "Hmph...with it, it's only a matter of time before we surpass Frieza himself."

I took off my scouter and tossed it into the crater so we could speak freely.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," I told Vegeta. "Frieza is in a class of his own...I know we only have a record of his power level being ten million, but I...I would put it closer to a hundred million. Or more," I was quick to put down the notion that defeating Frieza in a fight would be anything but easy.

Vegeta looked faintly alarmed, but I could see what happened to Sereall flash before his eyes. I knew because every time I thought of his strength, that's what popped into my mind. "A hundred million…? What an absolutely ridiculous number," he said, sounding like he agreed with my assessment.

"We're nowhere near his level of strength. And we won't be for a long time. The ki sensing will help -if our bodies react to a powerful opponent, then feeling their presence will do a lot more than just reading a power level on a screen. But, I also have an idea for a technique-" Vegeta huffed, muttering a 'of course you do' before I continued. "- that could help us train. That way we won't be so dependent on finding powerful opponents."

"Elery gave me the idea. It might take some time, but if I can figure out how to manipulate gravity with a technique then I could make it stronger just as I could weaker. Our race grew stronger because we lived under ten times the standard gravity, but what if we trained in twenty times the standard? Or more?" I asked, trying to picture it.

Vegeta fell silent, looking upward, peering through the sand and dust at the presences above that were likely searching for us.

"Do you intend to spread these techniques to everyone?" Vegeta asked, looking back down at me. I knew the answer that he wanted to hear was no. But if I said that, then it would be a lie.

"I will. If we're so weak that we have to cripple our race to remain the strongest, then we don't deserve it," I stated. Vegeta flashed me a sharp grin before he turned his attention to the crater that we stood at the edge of. Both of us looked down to see that the bottom was filling up with sand and I could feel the ground shifting beneath us.

Despite the fact I could fly, I couldn't help but worry that I would trip and fall until I hit the bottom.

"Well said."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	38. Touch of Bah

"You're going to pick him up?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms as he leaned his back against the doorframe that marked the entrance to Castle Vegeta. I glanced at my brother before I nodded.

"It's for the best. Broly needs to get used to fighting with other saiyans and hiding his power level. And it'll be good for the others as well. I want to see how they act when I'm not looking over their shoulders," I answered. Matillo had reported some promising progress with Olaive and Kakarot, and things got...pretty weird after my fight with Vegeta. They seemed to hang off of every word I said to a worrying degree, but I needed to see if they would follow through with that promised progress when they thought I wouldn't find out.

Vegeta nodded, accepting that answer. "And he'll be attached to your 501st," he commented with only a trace of bitterness in his words. Which was fair, honestly. Because Vegeta was a part of Frieza's personal army, it was too big of a risk for Broly to travel with Vegeta. We didn't know how powerful Broly was currently, but given that he had had a power level of over nine thousand as an infant...well...there was a reason only me and Vegeta could go pick him up.

"Don't worry. I won't get too much stronger than you," I teased, flashing a grin, only to get a scowl in return.

"In what universe does the youngest surpass the eldest?" Vegeta scoffed with a shake of his head. "You'll always be weaker than me, little brother. As it should be," he decided firmly. My grin grew a fraction, knowing that after these few days of...vacation were done, the next time I saw Vegeta he was going to be crazily strong. And I had to make sure I could match him.

Three presences that I recognized entered my range. I glanced over to see Mom and Fasha with Elery hanging on Mom's shoulder. Elery's gaze met mine for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, ducking behind Mom's shoulder guard. My heart clenched in my chest - it had been a few days since I fought her somewhat seriously, and she had barely spoken a word to me since.

There were times when her presence could be annoying, but now she was flat out avoiding me...I hadn't realized how used to her presence I was until it was gone. Still, I was made of sterner stuff than that, so I didn't let it bother me. Too much. Instead, I focused on Mom and Fasha.

"I figured I would see you off," Mom decided with a shrug. Which prompted my gaze to shift to Fasha. And since my vision wasn't blocked by my visor, she saw the question in my gaze.

"You should have some backup. Just in case anything goes sideways. The Old Man can handle the kids. Pretty sure he secretly loves it," Fasha explained with a shrug of her shoulders, mirroring Mom. I haven't seen much of either of them since I arrived on Planet Vegeta, but it seemed that they were getting along well enough. Much better than Vegeta and Bardock, at any rate. Not that was a high bar to get over.

I mulled it over for a second before I nodded, thinking that was fair enough. I was planning on taking a small shuttle to and from the planet, but adding another person wouldn't do any harm. And in case we did run into any Reach forces, I would be glad to have Fasha watching my back.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed, gesturing to the saucer ship that we would be taking. I glanced at Mom and Vegeta, a question on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to ask it. However, Mom seemed to sense my hesitance and answered my unspoken question.

"Your father is probably pretending that he's busy, or something," she told me. From what I gathered, they still didn't see eye to eye about Dad staying on Planet Vegeta. And I doubted that they ever would. In the end, as much as I would like them to get along, it didn't change much if they didn't. The results remained the same.

"I see," I said, wondering if I would see him again before I left for the war again. After picking Broly up, it would be the final day and the hundred saiyans under my wing would challenge the Sky King. After that, we would leave for the front lines again, take a weaker planet to get the saiyans under my command used to war...then we would take Antiople, the next shield world. "Tell him I said goodbye if I don't see him."

Vegeta nodded, and I was reassured that my message would be passed on. With that, I turned away from my family to head to the shuttle.

"Don't die!" Elery called out, peeking up from Mom's shoulder. A tension that I wasn't aware of until it was gone eased out of me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Mom grinning as Elery peeked over her shoulder so only her eyes were visible.

"I won't," I said, waving goodbye. Fasha followed me up the staircase into the ship. I was compelled to look over my shoulder one last time as the staircase closed, sealing tight enough to be worthy of space travel. It only lasted for a split second before the staircase blocked my vision, but I saw Vegeta waving goodbye right back at me.

My gaze lingered on the spot with some disbelief before Fasha reached out to rub the top of my head. I glanced up at her to see that there was a soft smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"Is it everything you'd thought it'd be?" Fasha questioned, and it was simple to guess what she meant.

I didn't even have to think about it. "It's even better," I told her. For so long, I had fought for my place amongst the royal family. And now I had it. I could call Vegeta my brother. Mom and Elery loved me. My father was proud of me. My team respected me and the issues we had were gone.

"Well, I'm happy for you. Now where are we going?" Fasha asked, making me realize that she wasn't in the loop. I glanced at her before I started walking toward the cockpit. I had absolutely no idea how to fly one of these things, but that's what autopilot was for. I input the coordinates as I explained the situation.

However, there were some things that I just had to leave out. The plot to overthrow the Cold family as the head of the Trade Organization...that was so much bigger than me that it wasn't up to me who learned of it and who didn't. I'm not even sure what I should do about the plan. But, still, there were some things that she needed to know.

"We're picking up a saiyan around my age," I started to explain as the ship lifted off. "His name is Broly. Dad sent him to a planet called Vampa to keep him out of sight until now." At that, Fasha cocked an eyebrow at me, a questioning look on her face. "When he was about a year into gestating in the tank, he had a power level of eight hundred."

Fasha sputtered, caught completely off guard by the ridiculous number. And that was the perfect time to follow it up. "However, when he started to cry, his power level skyrocketed to the point that it broke the older versions of the scouter. The final reading before it broke was ten thousand."

"Wait one second there - you're telling me that a baby still in the tank had a power level of ten thousand?" Fasha held up a hand, her voice shifting from shock to deadly serious as she realized the implications. It had taken me years to break the ten thousand barrier. My team spent most of their lives inching towards that threshold and most of them still hadn't managed it despite how close they were.

Broly was elite-class twice over, in a league of his own.

"I am," I confirmed with a nod.

Fasha thought about that, taking a seat in the pilot's chair. "Why was he sent to Vampa? If King Vegeta wanted him out of the way, then killing him would have been the smarter option," she said. At that, I shook my head.

"Dad wanted him out of the way, but he didn't want to get rid of him. Back then we had the population cap, and he was worried about what Frieza would do if such an unusually powerful saiyan was born," I explained.

Fasha scoffed, "more like he wanted to keep his throne secure." As soon as she said the words, she sent me a look that told me that she hadn't meant to say that out loud, or she forgot who she was talking to.

I gave her words a moment of thought before I shook my head. "If he wanted that, then he could have just killed him like you said." I refuted easily enough, hearing a small sigh and a nod from Fasha. I wasn't surprised that she didn't have the highest opinion of him. I wanted to defend him by telling her that he was a better man and a better king than anyone thought, but that would lead to questions why I thought that. And I wouldn't be able to answer.

"So, what changed? Do we know how powerful the kid is now? Is he even alive?" Fasha asked as the wink-drive teleported us hundreds of lightyears away from Planet Vegeta. Given that Vampa was on the very fringe of the galaxy, located in the least populated sector that was cleared out by some Warlord some time ago. As far as hiding places went, there was no better one.

"The war happened. Now Lord Frieza would welcome a powerful soldier in his army," I answered. The last two questions I was less certain about. The wink-drive gathered up power for another jump. It was going to take a day to get to Vampa and another day to get back. I understood the basics of it - the larger the jump, the more likely there would be a failure and we would be wiped from existence. So, the wink drive was best used in bursts with time to recover between those bursts.

"We don't know how strong he is though. But...given how wildly his power fluctuates...I'm guessing strong," I answered. "And if he's strong, then I'm willing to bet that he's alive."

"Fair enough, I guess," Fasha conceded, scratching at her cheek in thought. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, a question in her eyes. It was a look I was starting to recognize, but instead of not asking or asking a different question when I prompted her, she asked what was on her mind. "What's going to happen to the other kids? I know that the elite-class is being divided up between the royal family and Matillo, but no one's said anything about the mid and low-class."

That...was a good question, actually.

"I don't know," I admitted, which seemed to surprise her. "I've been more focused on dealing with the troops that I was going to be in charge of. The 501st is going to be put up to full strength soon and given how many saiyans are going to be put under my command...well, I've been preoccupied." Fasha nodded, accepting that point. Even still, it felt too much like an excuse for comfort.

Her lips thinned as she looked out the viewing window.

"I'll find out when we get back. I'm assuming that they'll be assigned to units like how we were before," but that had some issues. If we weren't careful then our population was going to be blasted back until we were nearly extinct. And because there wasn't a lot of genetic material, there wouldn't be a massive population boom like this again.

We had to make sure as many saiyans as possible made it to their prime. Just like Dad instructed us to make sure as many as the elite-class made it to their prime.

That gave me an idea.

"Would you feel comfortable leading your own units?" I asked as I puzzled the problem out, the offer surprising Fasha.

"What?" She asked, blinking at the offer.

"Would you want to command your own unit? Like the 501st," I explained with a frown, thinking it over. "It's just an idea, but...I would feel more comfortable putting saiyan lives in saiyan hands. I know it's impossible to do it with everyone. And for those that I can't, I'll do what I can to make sure they get good commanders. But if we assign...ten thousand or so to each of you - the team, and the other few saiyans remaining."

Fasha considered it for a long moment as if she were carefully considering her words. "I...wouldn't be opposed to it. And I don't think the other members of the team would be either," she said at least. That was good. Between Tora, Fasha, Shugesh, Borgos, and Parslee, that would be another fifty thousand saiyans in saiyan hands. And maybe I could talk to Mom about having more of them attached to our army.

"But, couldn't we just take them all?" Fasha questioned, looking at me with an unusually heavy gaze. "I mean, of course we wouldn't be in command of all of them," she quickly explained. "I just think that our race was nearly wiped out because we were scattered about. So, instead, the team would be in command of...I dunno, twenty-five thousand, or something?"

I shook my head, "logistics are the real limiting factor." I refuted, agreeing with her in spirit. In an ideal world, all three million would live to see their prime. That was impossible, though. "We eat too much. With the elite-class that'll be joining us, we're already gaining near a hundred thousand more mouths to feed. And things were bad enough when there were only fifty of us."

The fact that saiyans were bottomless pits wasn't news to me. I learned that lesson back on Rench when thirty saiyans impacted the food reserves enough that having us eat corpses bought us a day's worth of food to feed thousands.

I didn't plan on being in that situation ever again, but that didn't mean I wouldn't be. Not only that but adding a hundred thousand saiyans was already going to mean a sharp upturn in the amount of food that we would need. I didn't want our supply line to be a lifeline, and the moment it was severed our situation became dire.

"Adding another fifty thousand would be pushing it. The capsules make transporting it better, but the sheer amount of food we'll need is an issue." Especially when we pushed to take another shield world.

Unlike the last time, Lord Frieza wouldn't pave the way for us. We were going to have to fight to take it. There were shield world's that hadn't fallen since the war began. I had to assume that would be the case with us and prepare for that scenario.

Fasha looked like she wanted to argue, but realized that was right. Instead, she let out a deep sigh as she nodded in acceptance. "What about Lotuce and Gine? Would they be commanders too?" I considered the question before I gave a hesitant nod.

"I trust Lotuce to lead a unit well, but...I haven't seen Gine fight. I don't know her. I'll trust your word if you say she can lead them well, but you've said it yourself - she's too soft-hearted to be a warrior." I understood her motivations better than most. She was only coming because she didn't want to be separated from Kakarot. She wasn't joining us to fight.

Fasha appeared pensive before she spoke. "I'll talk to her about it. I think she would be good at it, but she shouldn't if she doesn't want to. For everyone's sake," she pointed out, getting an agreeing nod from me. She ran a hand through her hair before she nodded to herself. "I'll go shoot a message to the others. Might send one to Bardock too, while I'm at it."

While she did that, I pulled up my own assignments. I was behind on them, and Technician expected them to be done when I got back to the fleet. And I hadn't even started them.

Pulling up the first one, my gaze landed on the first math problem. Then my eyes narrowed into slits.

"Why are there letters in math!?"

* * *

Vampa looked more desolate in person than it did as a hologram. The surface of the planet was a sickly yellow, there was no sign of plant life at all. The catalog said that this planet had two species left after an apocalyptic event some centuries ago. Bloodsucking insects and some kind of eel dog that lived in craters.

"We're picking up an SOS down there. Night side of the planet, directly in the middle of a storm." I said, highlighting the position. I felt faintly proud at the simple action. I wasn't used to using technology yet, but I was steadily learning how a lot of things worked.

"Should we wait until it clears up? I'm betting that the constant storms are the reason they're stuck on this planet," Fasha asked as she looked at the swirling clouds on the dark side of the planet.

"No. I want to get back to Planet Vegeta as soon as possible. We'll leave the ship in orbit and take down a few oxygen masks so Broly and Paragus can make the trip up." I was looking forward to meeting Paragus. He cared enough about Broly to steal a ship to free him from his exile to this waste hole. Dad didn't seem to think he would still be alive - Paragus was low-class, and a fairly weak one as well, so his odds weren't great but I was holding out hope that he was still alive.

Though, just in case something did happen, "send a message back to Planet Vegeta while I get the masks on when to expect us back."

Fasha nodded, "sounds good to me." With that safety net done, both of us donned our masks and descended down toward the planet's surface.

As we entered the atmosphere, immediately we were hit with powerful winds and sand that would have flayed any non-saiyan member of the 501st. It was no shock at all that this planet was completely devoid of plant life, the wind and the sand must have killed it. I stretched my hands out and formed a bubble shield to keep the sand from getting in my eyes. Fasha did the same. Then I formed a ball of light in my hand and tossed it upward, illuminating the intense darkness that surrounded us.

"You can use two techniques at once now?" Fasha commented, looking at me as we descended.

"Only easy ones like this. I can't prepare two attacks at the same time. Yet," I tacked on. I hadn't managed to do it yet without one technique blowing up in my face, but I would manage it eventually.

Fasha simply shook her head as she eyed the ball of light, "so it's like a Solar Flare? I remember you using yourself like a flashlight back on Rench."

I nodded, confirming the guess as we neared the ground. "I created it back when I was trying to make the Power Ball emit certain kinds of light waves. I never had a chance to use it before, though."

"What are you going to name this one?"

That was a good question, I thought, glancing over my shoulder at the small ball emitting light. "Nightlight? Light Ball?"

A chuckle escaped Fahsa's lips, "you might be a genius at creating techniques, but at the very least I'll know you'll always be bad at naming them."

Oi...what does that mean…?

I didn't get a chance to ask because we reached the ground. Like we saw from space, the ground was a pale yellow of harsh stone. I pressed down on the side of my scouter to activate the map function. Through the storm, I saw the forms of jagged outcroppings of rock formations, and, more importantly, I saw a dot on the map that was the source of the SOS.

What I didn't pick up on were any power levels. Either they were beneath the ground...or….they were dead. Which would really throw a wrench in Dad's plans.

I traded a look with Fasha, who nodded before we took off in the direction of the SOS. It was a saucer ship nestled in a rock formation, kept out of the sandstorm but not buried to the point that it couldn't broadcast. I didn't know much about ships, but I could see that it was well taken care of at least. There was some wear and tear, but it didn't look like it was wasting away. That was a great sign.

My eyes found a tunnel near where the ship was set up. I flew toward it, standing at the-

I felt a presence and it was like a punch to the gut. Not because I had nothing to compare it to, but because I could.

The presence was comparable to Vegeta in the first stage of the Wrath State. Not quite as strong, but comparable. Almost numbly, I pressed down on the side of my scouter to get an exact number. The numbers kept ticking higher and higher until they settled on...a completely ridiculous number.

83,755.

Unless...unless Broly was in the oozaru form or the Wrath State, then...that...was his base power level. I expected him to be powerful, but this was insane. I would have said that it was impossible, but clearly it wasn't. How? How could he be this strong? Were the two species here really strong enough to push Broly to this extreme level of strength?

I wasn't sure if the plan could work anymore. The plan was that I would be able to keep him in line easily enough. If he learned the Wrath State…

Broly would have a power level dangerously close to a million. That was a sobering thought.

"Holy shit," Fasha muttered, picking up on the same power level. Now that the initial shock had worn off, I realized that there were two other power levels. One that was 3,360 - who must be Paragus given that was about a five hundred increase from his last recorded one, and the other was a mystery of 1,002.

"Let's take this slow," I told her before I decided to take off my mask and scouter and sealed them away with a capsule. I had picked an older model of armor so my tail was free for the first time in what felt like years. That way they would know we were saiyans just by looking at us. Fasha nodded as she did the same, and only then did we start to walk down the tunnel, my Nightlight illuminating the pitch-black tunnels.

The walls occasionally had some kind of egg built into them. I knew that they were eggs because most of them had the shell broken so the yoke inside could be eaten. The tunnels themselves were a maze, dozens of tunnels leading one way or the other. If it wasn't for my ability to sense ki then we would have been lost.

Steadily, we drew nearer to the only sentient presences on this planet. I let my Nightlight die off as I saw light illuminating a tunnel up ahead, hinting at another source of light. Then we stepped into the light.

The first thing we saw as we turned the corner was a boy sitting on a rock. His hair was a shaggy mane, his skin tanned with a few scars visible. One on his face that split his cheek and another on his left arm at his bicep. His armor had seen better days, almost to the point I wasn't sure why he bothered to wear it. Underneath was a deep blue undersuit that cut off at the thighs and left his arms bare.

He paused midway to bite into a leg, his face covered in greenish blood. I figured he would have gone through his first growth spurt, but he looked to be around my size. Yet smaller because he appeared to drown in a light green fur blanket that was tied around his shoulders. He lowered the leg, revealing some kind of metal collar around his neck as he blinked a few times at us.

"Who...are you?" He spoke, sounding uncertain. I eyed him for a moment - Broly was prematurely ejected from the gestation tank, so I wasn't sure how many lessons he got before he was sent to Vampa. Still, he was able to speak saiyango, so that was a promising sign.

"My name is Prince Tarble, and this is Fasha, my teammate. We're here to bring you back to Planet Vegeta-" I introduced us, stepping forward. I saw a flash of light to the side and I reacted instantly. As a ki blast was launched at me, I lashed out with a hand and batted it to the side, sending it into a wall. Only then did I pay any attention to the interior of the cavern.

It looked lived in. The beds were ripped out of the ship, a floater from the ship that was being worked on as well as a place with various tools laid about. The source of the light was coming from some kind of stone, illuminating the cavern.

Two other people were in the cavern. One was Paragus. Instead of just sporting a mustache, a short beard was growing out, and he was missing an eye. Oddly enough, he was showing signs of leaving his prime, even though he wasn't that old - wrinkles gathered in the corner of his eyes and his black hair was sporting a few strands of gray.

The other one was scrawny, almost hollowed cheeked and haggard-looking like he hadn't slept easily once in the past six years. He almost looked familiar, but I had more pressing concerns. Like how Paragus had taken a shot at me.

"So King Vegeta sends another one of his spawn to finish the job that he's too cowardly to do himself?" Paragus spat, preparing another ki blast. Broly took his cues from his father, dropping the leg and jumping to his feet as he started growling at me.

I looked at Broly because he was by far the biggest threat, but I spoke to Paragus as I did so. "You jumped to conclusions then, and you're jumping to conclusions now. If my father wanted Broly dead, then he would be dead. If I came here to kill you, then you would be dead. Yet, you're all alive. What does that tell you?" I was many things, but a diplomat wasn't one of them.

Paragus sneered, anger blazing in his eyes. This wasn't going to be a simple conversation. Not when he was staring at me with black eyes full of hate and loathing, like I was the source of every misfortune that he had ever had.

"Wait- Wait, everyone, just wait one second," the other guy said. Oddly enough, Broly calmed down almost instantly at the request. He stopped growling at me and looked over at the other guy. "You have a ship, right? You can get us off this rock?" He asked almost desperately. Actually, there was no almost involved, he was desperate.

"We do," I confirmed, sliding my gaze to Paragus. "Like I said, we're here to bring you back to Planet Vegeta. Then you'll be accompanying me to the frontlines."

A hint of confusion entered Paragus's hateful gaze, "frontlines?" He echoed before his eyes narrowed at me, "the war with the Reach?" He hazarded a guess.

I nodded, "the war has been going on for about six years now. Our population cap has been lifted, and things have changed. My father sent Broly here for his own protection. If Lord Frieza had found about him before now, Broly would have been killed-"

Paragus snarled at me so intensely that I'm pretty sure that he pulled something in his face. "Don't lie to me, boy! King Vegeta was jealous! He was jealous of my son and the power that he has!"

"Paragus! Listen to reason - does it matter why King Vegeta sent Broly here? We're your ticket off this planet," Fasha tried to reason with him, but there was no reasoning with absolute hate.

"No," Paragus shook his head, glaring at me with a lone eye. "We've spent years in this...hell. Because of your father. We'll take that ship of yours and your father and brother will be joining you here. After you've suffered long enough, I'll allow you to leave this hellish planet." This wasn't going as well as I hoped it would. Not in the slightest. Paragus couldn't be reasoned with because he didn't want to be. He wanted revenge for a mistake that he made.

"My father wasn't the one that crashed your ship," I refuted. "And he didn't send anyone to stop you. If you had left Vamp with Broly, that would have been fine because my father's goals would have been fulfilled - keeping Broly out of Lord Frieza's hands. Blame yourself for being stuck here. We aren't your enemies."

I could see that my words had an effect. Just not the one that I wanted. The truth fanned the flames of his hate until I could see them. He blamed Dad because the only other option was blaming himself.

"Broly!" Paragus snapped, making Broly flinch at his tone. "Kill!" He shouted, pointing at us.

Broly looked at us, his gaze wide and...reluctant. That caught me off guard. Though, not as much as what came next. Broly's eyes went wide as his hands went to his neck, a scream ripping from his throat as he collapsed to the ground, covered in the green fur blanket. My gaze darted to Paragus to see that he held a controller in his hands.

"Kill him Broly! Kill!" Paragus shouted and, for a moment, I just looked at him. He...was completely consumed with his vengeance. All because of the symbol that I wore on my chest. Perhaps it was a mistake to send me here, or any member of the royal family. I should have just sent Fasha. Because, right now, actually leaving the planet was the very last thing on Paragus' mind.

I raised a hand and blasted the control out of his hand, and only then did Broly's screams stop. The boy laid in a heap underneath the blanket, shivering as he gasped for breath. Shakily, he pushed himself up, looking at me with eyes filled with fear. Paragus was so consumed with his hate that he hadn't realized that he was hurting Broly too much to let him obey the crazed order.

I walked toward him, my eyes blazing yellow as I slipped into the Wrath State with ease. Broly, finally able to follow through with his father's order, lashed out with a fist. It was wild, no form in the slightest. He...wasn't used to fighting. I saw it easily. Which raised the question of how exactly was he so strong. I expected some level of strength with his wild fluctuations recorded in the tank. If he didn't have a growth spurt…

Did...Broly grow stronger over time naturally?

His fist slammed into my palm and stopped dead in its tracks. Broly's eyes widened a look of shock on his face. Given how strong he was, I imagined he was used to the things he hit being broken. Grabbing his hand, I held him in place, his eyes growing fearful as I reached out. Then that fear melted into confusion as I ripped off the collar, identifying it as what caused Broly to scream.

Broly rubbed his neck tenderly, looking at me with no small amount of confusion once I let go of his hand and made no move to attack.

This...was disappointing as hell.

"Paragus," I spoke slowly, turning to the aging saiyan, who met my gaze firmly, thoroughly unrepentant. "I'm going to pretend like that didn't happen. For your sake. In exchange, you're going to shut up, get on the ship, and then go to planet Vegeta with us. From there, you can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. However, two things are set in stone - Broly will be accompanying me to the frontlines and you won't put another collar on him. Is that clear?" I spoke, my words as cold as ice.

"I…" Broly interrupted, looking between me and Paragus. "I don't want to be away from Dad…! Don't...take him away...please!" Broly looked like he was on the verge of tears at the mere thought of it. He grabbed onto the green blanket, curling it around himself as if it was the only source of safety that he had ever known.

That decided that then.

"Fine. Three things are set in stone. You're joining us on the frontlines," I informed Paragus. His expression was rebellious, and I knew he was going to be an absolute pain in the ass. But Broly wanted him to be there, and right now, what Broly wanted, Broly was going to get.

"Paragus, just accept it for now," Fasha spoke, trying to reason with him again. "There's a time and a place for vengeance, and this is neither." That...was a good idea. Instead of trying to reason with him with logic, she was appealing to his desires for undeserved vengeance on Dad. At the very least, it would make him cooperative enough to get on the ship with minimal complaining. And once he calmed down enough, he could be more open to a rational discussion.

And if that didn't work, I would punch him in the face until he agreed.

Paragus looked at Fasha, his eye darting to me before he scowled deeply even as he nodded. For now, that would be enough.

"Good," I said, reaching to my belt and tossed a capsule containing the spare oxygen masks and tanks. "Take those and follow us up," I said before I narrowed my eyes at Paragus. "And here's some advice on trying something on the ship," I started before I turned around and started walking down the tunnel, expecting to be followed.

"Don't."

* * *

People respond to stress in different ways, I learned over the years. I had a habit of throwing myself at the problem until it went away. Tora buckled down and worked his way through it. Shugesh ate to deal and...well...the list went on. Likewise, different people responded to relief.

Broly took off his mask, looking around at the interior of the ship with a hint of wonder. Paragus looked like he ate something sour as he strode forward, barely paying any attention to his surroundings. Thankfully, Fasha followed him to make sure that he didn't blow up the ship out of spite.

The third saiyan, on the other hand, broke down crying. He dropped to his knees, his chest heaving as tears ran down his cheeks as he held onto the ship hard enough that the grating warped underneath his fingers.

"I...I thought I was never going to leave that place," he sobbed, crying his heart out in pure relief. I...think this was the first time I had ever seen a saiyan cry before. Elery did early on, but only when she was a baby. The only other time that I could think of was myself back on Rockoroad when I participated in unprovoked genocide of another race...my first taste of war.

I shared a look with Broly, who looked outright concerned for the guy. He walked over to the sobbing saiyan, hovering around him before he held out the blanket that was tied around his shoulders.

"You can pet Bah's ear. You'll stop being sad," Broly offered, pushing the furry ear into the saiyans face. Then his concerned expression showed some apprehension, "but only for a little bit. And you can only pet Bah's ear," he laid down the restrictions, and through his sobs, the saiyan let out a wet chuckle.

"Thanks, Broly. I appreciate it," the saiyan said fondly, his voice thick with emotion. He wiped his eyes with the back of his forearm, glancing up at me before he swallowed thickly. "Sorry about that sorry show. I...I...I thought I was really going to die down there, you know? Shit...I've...I've been lying for years about the ship, and I thought Paragus was going to figure out any day…"

That caught my attention. "Lying about the ship?" I questioned, giving the saiyan a moment to gather himself.

"Back when the ship crashed, Paragus was going to kill me to save on food. So, I lied and said that I could fix the ship with enough time. But the main floater was broken, and there was no way that I could. So, I just...kept lying. Every day, I thought that Paragus would figure it out and…" Kill him because there would be no reason keeping him alive.

The saiyan pushed himself off the floor, choosing to sit on it as he wiped away the last few tears. "I'm really lucky that you arrived when you did. I think he was starting to suspect something," the saiyan admitted, taking in a calming breath as he gave a thin smile to Broly, who receded the offer to pet Bah's ear. There was a story there as well. "But I never expected that you'd be the one to rescue me."

Huh?

"You know me?" I questioned, confused. If he was stuck here for years, then he couldn't know me from the war and he was a Mechanic, not a Nurturer, so he shouldn't know me from the Nursery.

"I'm not surprised that you don't remember me. We only met briefly a couple of years ago...but…" the saiyan looked apprehensive for a moment while I tried to place him. I knew he looked familiar...but…

"You're the Mechanic that was working on my team's ship," I realized. That was ages ago, and it was briefly. However, what I didn't expect was for a pained expression to pass over his face. He hesitated to speak, or even nod, and that was alarming.

"I am," he agreed, swallowing thickly. "I...well, my name is Beets. Not sure if you remembered. You probably didn't. I didn't know you were royalty, though. But I probably should have - you have the look," Beets said, dancing around the issue.

"I wasn't. I was born low-class and had to earn the right to join the royal family by becoming high-class," I explained, making his eyes widen.

"Huh. Well, I can believe it. Broly is pretty strong. Stronger than I thought possible, really," Beets commented, making Broly smile widely. "But...there's something...something that you should know...about why I was working on your ship." Beets started, swallowing thickly as he braced himself. "You should know. Especially after you saved me."

I gave him a slow nod, "alright...why were you working on our ship?" This reaction...it couldn't be because of scheduled maintenance. Beets was too nervous.

Beets didn't continue for a few seconds, long enough for me to think that he wasn't going to. But when he did speak, I almost regretted asking.

"King Vegeta ordered me to plant a bomb on your team's ship. A timed one that would detonate when you activated the FTL drive to make it look like an accident of shoddy repairs. I was in the middle of installing it when...when you came on board...I…" Beets looked away, his eyes filled with shame.

"I'm working-class. I'm not a warrior. I...I don't have it in me to kill a kid...so I didn't go through with it. I was freaking out, convinced that King Vegeta was going to kill me because of it. That's why I offered to help Paragus get off the planet to rescue Broly." He explained, but I didn't hear a word that he said.

My hands curled into fists as I clenched my jaw, my heart hammering at my ribs as my blood rushed in my veins.

I…

"I guess it was too good to be true," I admitted to myself. I had known since the beginning that Dad didn't care about me. It's why he okayed me going on a suicide mission. But, I had accepted that. I rationalized it. I told myself that when I made it to the elite-class, that Dad would accept me. That...that was the bar I had to reach to earn his love and acceptance.

But...he had lied to me. Back on Planet Vegeta. When he said that he allowed Bardock to be the face of the saiyan race. I suspected it, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe in the family that I now had.

King Vegeta tried to kill my team. He tried to kill me. He never cared about me at all. He only cared that I was elite-class.

Broly walked over to me, reaching out and pushing the filthy green ear towards me. My heart clenched in my chest at the silent offer and even as tears stung at my eyes, I gave Broly a small smile.

"Thanks Broly," I told him, reaching out and petting the ear.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't feel any better.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	39. Omake and Informationals 4

**I'd like to talk to the manager. (non-canon) (clarification about the omake located below)**

Pamela Isley looked around at the generic lobby for a moment, taking it all in. It was hard to believe that this place served as the home for the self-proclaimed owner of Earth. From what she heard about him, she half expected to see stuffed corpses of animals, or for it to be a hut in the middle of the wilderness. Instead, it was a generic lobby that wouldn't look out of place in any bank in America.

As her gaze roamed the interior, they landed on a plain-looking girl who was trying very hard to look like she wasn't looking at her. Or that her hand was nearing the emergency button located under her desk. This...Elsa Smith was doing a rather poor job at both.

Even still, Pamela strode forward, her dress made of nature preserving her modesty - a corset made of leaves, her stockings made of lighter green moss that was almost completely translucent. A necklace of flowers hung around her neck, matching the ones that were interwoven in her long red hair.

Her steps were slow and deliberate - having Tarble rush down here would be convenient, but that wasn't the impression she wanted to give.

"I would like to see the manager of Earth. Please," Pamala added, just in case it wasn't clear that it was a request. Elsa looked up at her for a moment, swallowing thickly before her hand slowly moved away from the emergency button. The younger girl shifted in her chair, glancing at the computer, visibly gathering herself before she spoke.

"Um, Prince Tarble will see you, but, uh, there's a waiting list?" Elsa smiled a smile that screamed 'don't shoot the messager.' "I...ah, well, it..,.might be a problem with the system, but I...ah...I don't see your appointment…?"

Pamala idly wondered when was the last time that she had made an appointment anywhere. "I don't have one," she admitted, giving the girl a patient smile to make her stop stuttering. Instead, she looked like she was about to flee for the hills.

"Um...you see, Prince Tarble is really busy- not to say you aren't important! But, you see, the waiting list is...kinda really long? Like, really long?" She repeated herself, cringing with every word as if she expected Pamala to reach over the desk she sat behind to throttle the life out of her. If she kept stuttering, then she might be tempted.

"How long?" Pamala asked tersely, wondering the cost and benefits of simply fighting her way to the top floor.

"About...three years?" And all of a sudden, it made a great deal of sense why Elsa was so hesitant. "But...um...you're here to talk to Prince Tarble about nature, right?" Elsa tried, making Pamala pause.

"I'm here to discuss the impact of humans on nature and what should be done about it." She would accept any solution - from the extermination of humanity to sending all the humans off to other planets. Surprisingly, Elsa looked relieved.

"Great! Well, you would have to clear it with him, but that guy over there is here to talk about pretty much the same thing. You two could work together!" Elsa exclaimed, gesturing to a waiting area with the enthusiasm that only belonged to those throwing a problem onto someone else had. Pamala looked over at the waiting area to see a man staring right back at her.

Ra's al Ghul. His salt and pepper hair was swept back, a neatly trimmed goatee framed his mouth. Despite the coloration of his hair, his face was free of wrinkles except for those that gathered around his eyes. He looked nothing like his true age of several hundred years. Ra's carried himself as well as he could as he was stuffed in an uncomfortable-looking waiting chair. An Asian man held a green cloak, waiting for Ra's to choose to wear it again, and he was undoubtedly a trained assassin.

Pamala glanced back at Elsa, who looked like she was praying to every deity in the sky that Pamala took the bait. And, perhaps the first time in history, a prayer was answered.

"I'll do just that," Pamala informed, striding towards Ra's. He watched her, his expression blank, his gaze unwavering even as she deliberately crossed her legs after taking a seat directly in front of him. Men were simple creatures, enough so it was honestly shocking that they were the dominant gender, especially so when all she had to do was flash some bedroom eyes or a hint of skin. However, like all animals, men could be trained to ignore their base instincts.

And Ra's Al Ghul was a man that had long since mastered his base urges.

"Dr. Isely," Ra's greeted, his voice level.

"Ra's Al Ghul," Pamala returned. Despite their aligned goals, they rarely ever worked together. Too different in approach. For the most part. In recent years, it seems his patience was becoming rather frayed given that he built two space lasers this year that were meant to wipe major cities off the map. Unfortunately, both were stopped by heroes, one by Superman and another by Batman, before even a small town was destroyed.

Pamala idly tapped a finger on the arm of her chair, staring at Ra's, who was as still as a statue as he met her gaze. "I'm surprised you would show up in person. Or that you made an appointment at all," she commented, making small talk.

Ra's allowed himself a small smile, "some things are better dealt with yourself. As for my appointment...nothing a bribe can't take care of."

That was rather disappointing. "Tarble didn't take me as the type to accept bribes," Pamala admitted.

"Not in the traditional sense. I approached Lex Luthor on creating something that could kill the Prince. I believe he went with some Saiyan-Kryptonian-Martian amalgamation, but it failed to kill the saiyan. He was impressed by capabilities, however, and on the condition that we regularly create worthy enemies for him, our appointments are given priority."

Yes. That sounded far more in line with what she heard.

"Hm. It sounds rather simple. I suppose I should start as well," Pamala mused. Tarble made no secret that the easiest way to gain his favor was trying to kill him. She couldn't wrap her head around it, but she didn't need to. Tarble was a man. And an alien.

"It's worked surprisingly well so far," Ra's stated, piquing her curiosity. However, before she could question what he meant, she felt a familiar set of arms wrap around her.

"Boo! Did I surprise ya' Red?" Harley Quinzel questioned, squeezing her tight. Pamala didn't respond in favor of realizing where the second pair of arms that hugged her from behind came from.

"No. And I recall telling you that Pine was not allowed to leave the apartment. He isn't ready to face the outside world yet," Pamala rebuked, twisting in her chair to yank the perfect being that had wandered into her life from her friend and lover. It was the perfect creature and there was no greater tragedy in the universe that the creature was born on an alien planet.

It had stolen its way onto Tarble's ship and escaped, coming to her in a fated meeting. Dark red eyes met her green-tinted ones. A saibaman - the perfect blend between plant and animal. It's thorax was a dark green, while its skin was a paler green. Its hands and feet were tipped with three claws, its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth...It was perfection given form with a connection to the Green as powerful as her own.

"Green Bean needed some fresh air," Harley argued. "And I wanted to wish ya' good luck and I couldn't leave him all by himself. Who knows what trouble Lil Green would get into if we didn't keep an eye on him," Harley pointed out.

Pine chuckled, a sinister sound that told them he knew exactly what he would do.

"See? He's planning on sitting on the balcony and shooting acid people again. I know that look mister," Harley said, jabbing a finger where his nonexistent nose would be. Pine's facial expressions were limited, but it was easy enough to see that Harley was right.

"Um- Mr. Ra's Al Ghul? Prince Tarble will see you now," the receptionist informed. Ra's and her eyes met for a moment before Ra's nodded in acceptance.

"We are in agreement on this matter," he decided, standing. With well-practiced ease, the attendant slipped on the dark green cloak onto him. Pamala stood as well, accepting Pine from Harley and holding him against her body. Pine clung to her as well, and Pamala welcomed his touch.

One day, she would ensure that he and his species took control of not only this planet but the galaxy itself. The saibamen species deserved nothing less.

"Cool! I always wanted to meet the owner of Earth. Do ya' think he'll give me an autograph?" Harley questioned, skipping along with them as she and Ra's walked towards an elevator. Stepping inside, neither of them answered her question, so she noisily hummed to herself because there was no elevator music.

Which must have been a deliberate move considering that he lived at the top floor of the tallest building on the planet. A building he ordered constructed to dwarf any human-made structure ever built, so he was likely overcompensating for something. For a solid five minutes, they stood in relative silence as they watched the floor number rapidly climb higher.

Once they were nearing four digits and standing on the edge of the stratosphere, only then did the elevator come to a stop. The door slid open to reveal a generic-looking hallway. No paintings, no statues of himself, only bland walls and a blander carpet. At the end of it was a set of double doors, rather far away all things considered.

A psychological mind trick. One that was working, despite herself. Never before had she been so far away from the Earth's surface, even her connection to the Green felt distant. Pamala held onto Pine that much tighter, his presence helping her in ways she couldn't describe.

Ra's was similarly affected given that Harley was the first one to step out of the elevator. She skipped down the hallway, making it a few before she realized that she wasn't being followed. Harley spun on her heel, bending over as she planted her hands on her hips. "Well? Whatareya' watin' for?" She questioned, and that's what broke the spell that was placed on both of them.

Pamala stepped out of the elevator first, her gaze searching the halls for something, anything, but there was nothing. Nothing but a dark red set of double doors at the end of a long hallway. And behind that door was one of the most powerful mortals alive.

There were reasons why the likes of her and Ra's made appointments and waited to see him on his timetable. The idea of fighting him was...laughable. So, they were forced to approach in the ways that he had approved of, or not at all.

"He really needs to liven this place up!" Harley decided, checking her purse for a few crayons. Luckily, she didn't find any. Otherwise she would have started drawing on the walls like a small child, and that wasn't the impression that she wanted to give.

"Feel free to mention that to him," Ra's commented, not looking at Harley. Or her, so he couldn't see her glare, but she knew he was aware of it.

He did see it when Harley stuck her tongue out at him judging by the sound of disgust he made.

With that, they continued towards the door and her mind wandered. Which must have been the purpose of the featureless hallway. Her mind drifted back to a year ago when Tarble had first come to Earth. At first, he was just another conqueror in a long line of failed conquerors. Her first thought when she had heard about him on the news was to wonder when the Justice League would take care of him.

Only they didn't. Whether because they didn't want to...or they couldn't remain up for debate. The fact remained that Tarble had become the premier power on planet Earth. The conqueror that the world leaders were forced to listen to because Tarble decisively removed those that didn't. And, sometimes, it wasn't just the leaders he removed but entire countries.

It was that exact reason why she was here.

They neared the door with Harley leading the way, happily skipping towards the door. She reached out to open them with her usual dramatic flourish, only for the door to burst inward in a shower of splinters. A person was tossed through the door, landing heavily at her and Ra's Al Ghul's feet. A man of asian descent, with a chest covered in gaudy metals that were pinned into a military uniform.

"General Mao," Ra's greeted, looking down at the fallen man that started to pick himself up from his shower of splinters. Some of which had gotten on Harley because she was making faces as she picked them out of her cleavage and corset.

However, her eyes didn't linger on that, but rather who stepped through the ruined doors.

Tarble wasn't the larger than life figure that Pamala had expected. He was around six feet tall, either a little taller or a little shorter, his static black hair spiked upward while one lock of hair drifted between his blazing yellow eyes. Before she had realized the true nature of men, Pamala would have thought he was handsome enough in an overly serious smoldering kind of way. Well built and dressed in white armor with a black undersuit. His signature outfit that was as iconic as Superman's shielded S.

"I'm not sure where either of you get off making demands of me," Tarble spoke, taking a step forward as the man he dragged behind him by the face groaned as an answer. Another asian man judging by his skin color, but he looked far less official. Well dressed, to be sure, but not the kind of dress that marked him as especially important.

Tarble lifted the man up, his hand wrapped around his face before he pinned his fierce gaze on the fallen general. "You're going to give me ultimatums?" He spoke as if the idea itself was ridiculous, ignoring their presence as he delivered his threats. "Fine. If you like them so much, then here's one - this civil war of yours is going to be resolved one of two ways."

"First, the two of you grow up and have a civil conversation and resolve your differences without violence. Or, I'm going to resolve your civil war by flipping a coin and wiping out whoever loses," Tarble growled, tossing the other man to the ground, likely a freedom fighter. That threat was made so very sinister by the fact that Pamala knew that Tarble would follow through with that threat.

Tarble had as many supporters as he did enemies. His known past was a jumbled mess of atrocities and heroics. But enemy or supporter alike agreed that Tarble always followed through on exactly what he said he would, for better or for worse.

"Pick one. Now." Tarble snapped at the men, making both of them look at each other, then at Tarble, then at each other again before both of them gave shaky nods. They spoke in a language that she didn't understand, nor did she care to guess. Pamala was far more interested in Pine's reaction to Tarble's presence.

The saibaman recoiled from Tarble, shifting so he clung onto her back, placing her between him and the saiyan. Had he abused this poor creature? If Tarble had, then he would die for it. Pamala didn't care how impossible it was, she would do it anyway.

"Good. Get out," Tarble snapped, making the two asian men to spring to their feet and start running down the hallway. Pamala paid them no mind, her attention focused solely on the saiyan prince. His gaze swept over them, his eyes narrowing dangerously when they landed on Pine, who flinched at his look. "If you're here to return the saibaman, then don't. I don't want him."

Pamala opened her mouth but it wasn't her that answered. She should have seen it coming, yet she didn't. Harley cut her and Ra's off, sticking out a hand and sending a beaming smile at Tarble. Which would have been completely fine if she wasn't wearing a gag buzzer that would shock whoever clasped hands with her.

"I'm Harley, that's Red and the guy over there is Ra's something something. Nicetomeetya'," Harley introduced them, earning a long-suffering sigh from both her and Ra's. Tarble looked down at her hand, raising an eyebrow before he shook it. Electricity crackled from the handshake, but Tarble made no outward sign that he felt a thing.

"I've you're trying to electrocute me, you'll have to try a higher voltage," he stated flatly, sounding bored with the attempt on his life. Or practical joke. It was hard to tell with Harley at times. "Now, what do you want?"

"We want you to tell those stupid big wigs to go green and save the planet!" Harley announced, and it was left to them to elaborate on that point.

"We have a proposal for you regarding how pollution has affected your planet and devalues it," Ra's continued smoothly. Tarble glanced at him before he nodded, wordlessly turning around and walking into his office. After a brief moment of hesitation, they followed after Harley, who hadn't hesitated at all.

The office didn't look like what she expected. It was about as bland as the hallway outside, furnished with a desk, a few chairs and a tank thing tucked in a corner. If it wasn't for the leaning tower of pizza boxes, Pamala would have thought that no one used this room at all.

"Make your pitch," Tarble ordered easily, expecting them to obey. Pamala helped herself to a seat while Ra's took the other. Pine clung to the back of the chair while Harley jumped into her lap. Tarble didn't make a comment, nor did he look like he cared.

Ra's took out a puck-like disk and ran a thumb over the top, causing a hologram to appear with several graphs. Pamala recognized the studies. She helped write a few of them. There were dozens detailing the negative effects of pollution on the environment - from how it negatively affected animal populations, to global warming, to health defects. Ra's had his bases covered, Pamala admitted to herself.

"I will cut to the chase," Ra's started, clasping his hands before him. "The UN has shown itself thoroughly ineffective when it comes to dealing with the grave issue of pollution. Even as they claim they are working to solve the issue, they actively reject alternative sources of energy while searching for dwindling supplies of oil. If something isn't done now, then the planet will suffer irreparable damage to its ecosystem...as well as it's price tag."

Pamala nodded, "Humans are killing the Earth, slowly but surely. Destroying the rainforest, causing wildfires, throwing their trash everywhere, fracking to get fossil fuels...something must be done." Like killing them all, or sending them to other planets devoid of any natural life. Examples were everywhere. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the deforestation of the amazon...all to build shopping malls and concrete jungles to fit more people. As if eight billion wasn't enough.

"What's a fossil fuel?" Tarble questioned, raising an eyebrow at them. The question caught Pamala slightly off guard, but she supposed it shouldn't have. From what she understood of saiyans, they were a barbaric race that lucked out to becoming a spacefaring race. They skipped all the steps from stone age to space age, so his ignorance made sense.

"It's a finite resource called oil which is distilled into several things ranging from plastics to gasoline. Both of which are harmful to the environment as after products, as well as the processes of creating both," Ra's answered easily. She noticed what he was doing - short and simple answers. Did he think that Tarble wouldn't understand anything else, or did he know that Tarble wouldn't care for context?

"You humans make no sense. Some of you are playing with the loose strings of the fabric of reality, but the rest of you are stuck using finite fuels? Wait, doesn't Lex have like a half dozen sources of unlimited clean energy?" Tarble questioned, not sounding opposed to the idea of taking action. Which was promising. Though apparently the fact that he was on first-name basis with Lex Luthor was somewhat concerning.

"Quite. Legislation has been put in place to protect several core industries, which prevents anyone from implementing technology that would render those industries redundant." There was no small amount of disgust in Ra's tone that Pamala echoed with a firm nod.

"It applies beyond energy tech as well. Any kind of invention that would affect a large scale industry is limited by red tape," Pamala added, wondering if they could nudge Tarble into getting rid of that law. What did she care if millions of humans lost their jobs? They could go find other ones off-planet when the human race expanded away from Earth.

"However, I know that this issue concerns you little except for the fact that if this continues, then the property value of Earth will be permanently marred. We have reached the point of no return and the world leaders are intent of driving past it without a care." Ra's stated as Tarble tapped a finger on his chair.

Then he shrugged his shoulders. "Fine," he decided. Pamala blinked slowly, taking in a slow breath.

"That easy?" Harley asked the question that was on her mind.

Tarble shrugged, "I'm in a good mood and it sounds like something that's going to be a pain to deal with later if I don't deal with it now. I was planning on talking to the UN later, so I'll tell them to take care of it then." There was something...disconcerting at how easily he claimed that the UN would do whatever he told it to do. Most because Pamala was certain that they would. Unlike the Justice League, Tarble didn't pretend that they were in control. He didn't follow their rules. Instead, he forced them to obey his.

Harley threw up her hands as she cheered, "yay! The planet is saved!" Harley ung around, jabbing a finger in her face. "Now ya' don't have an excuse to not go to the movies with me!" Had Harley really tried to save the planet so she would go see that awfully generic romantic comedy?

"Let's go get some ice cream," Harley decided, jumping out of her lap and grabbing her hands to pull her up. Her words earned the most thoughtful expression from Tarble so far. And that was both amazing and horrifying.

"Ice cream? I've heard about it…" He trailed off, his eyes narrowing when Harley gasped dramatically.

"You haven't had ice cream?! Come on! We're fixing that right this second! I'm going to show you the joys of fast food sundays and fancy pantsy banana splits," Harley decided with the same ease as Tarble decided to end the pollution crisis.

Tarble looked hesitant for a moment before he jerked his head in a nod, getting up and once he did, Harley grabbed him by the hand and practically dragged him over his desk and towards the door. And, for a moment, Pamala simply watched them.

"How anticlimactic," she mused to herself. Pamala expected debates, arguments, refusals, and denials of irrefutable evidence. That was quick, simple, and easy.

But that's how things should be with a proper manager in charge.

* * *

**Omake answers**

Home and the office are two different places. Tarble's home would be more like your describing, but the office is where he does boring things and meets boring people. For the setup, he pretty much looked at the oval office, grabbed a desk and didn't bother grabbing any kind of decoration. Though, I was trying to draw a parallel to Touch of the Past - King Vegeta was very much in your face with wealth and decoration until it was spilling out in the walkways. Tarble is the opposite extreme to the point they're completely barren.

I like to sprinkle hints in these prompts about the future. This chapter isn't canon, but things in it are. Since you noticed it, I'll go ahead and confirm the reason behind the long empty hallways and silent elevator rides is canon. You'll find out why exactly in the next arc. I'll drop a hint - it's related to a powerup that Tarble will be getting.

Edit: The three hints are Tarble permanently being in the Wrath State, the reason behind the silent elevator and long hallways, and the tower itself.

Also, everything is intentionally kept vague on why Tarble is there and his relationship with the Justice League. So, whatever makes the most sense to you is the correct answer. Tarble defeated the Justice League, they're actively fighting, or their secretly colluding to take over the universe.

* * *

**A neat tossed out plot thread. **

Fun fact time. In the original draft of this story, I was going with a plot element that I thought would have been a really clever twist, but I ultimately decided that it didn't fit well with the story that I wanted to tell. I felt like it would remove the agency that I spent the last arc giving Tarble.

Originally, Tarble was low-key brainwashed by both King Vegeta and Frieza back in the gestation tank.

King Vegeta brainwashed him with the idea of family - that he should obey his king, that he wouldn't attempt to usurp Vegeta's throne with underhanded actions and so on to secure the succession. However, all of this was filtered through Tarble's human memories that wasn't supposed to be there. That was the original reason that Tarble was so attached to the idea of family.

With Frieza, he brainwashed Tarble to be loyal to him first before his king. He anticipated that the saiyans were going to rebel eventually, and Frieza wanted a candidate that he wouldn't have to worry about trying to rebel again at a later date. So, while Tarble was in the tank, a frieza-force member added something to the lessons that were downloaded into his brain. However, both Frieza and King Vegeta abandoned the projects halfway when it was clear that Tarble was going to be pretty weak.

I actually spent some time developing the idea in the background. It's why Tarble calls Frieza 'Lord Frieza', and why Frieza shows Tarble an unusual amount of favor.

This chapter was where things took a turn and deviated wildly with what I planned originally. This was the chapter where things were meant to implode drastically for the royal family because of that brainwashed loyalty, Tarble was going to report King Vegeta's plan to Frieza. Which would have gotten King Vegeta killed. The new King Vegeta would have hated Tarble to the point that he tries to kill him, which displeases Frieza, and the saiyan race pretty much implodes because of it.

Vegeta launches a rebellion and takes the majority of the new generation away to become his personal army. The remainder is trained by Tarble. The majority of the Old Guard views Tarble as Frieza's lapdog. And Tarble crumples emotionally because he destroyed what he fought for so long to achieve.

And what I've thought of to replace that plotline, in my opinion, is much better and far more explosive.

* * *

**The plan to deal with the Cold family and the difference in perspective**

The war, if it continues as it has, is going to take centuries. And if the war ends prematurely, then it's going to be because of the saiyan race, which cements their position. Because of Frieza's plan, it wouldn't be long before they're in another war either. However, someone on QQ said it best.

Vegeta - Ape Strong, no need others

Bardock - Apes together strong

Teach - Apes should fight like Apes

Tarble - Apes together strong, funny looking things Apes

King Vegeta - Apes need stock options, pensions, and insurance

Which leads me to how the plan would work in the sense there's nothing stopping the Cold family from taking back the Trade Organization. All will be revealed eventually, but the gist of it is that once they're on the board of directors that they'll have a lot more...options for dealing with the Cold family.

* * *

**The joke about saiyans grunting explanations. **

It's playing on the trope of a protagonist in a shonen series attempting to explain their totally awesome and special signature move by describing what they feel when they perform it. Normally, the explanation is lost on others, but saiyans are little dumb-dumb savants when it comes to fighting, so that kind of explanation became the default.

* * *

**No zenkai farming.**

Tarble does know about zenkais, it's just that they're difficult to abuse in this story and they've had a small nerf. There are no 500% zenkais, no matter what the situation is. I decided that early on because they completely screw the pacing I'm trying to set.

The big issue is that there has to be a threat of death attached to being beaten severely. So, sparring with a powerful opponent won't net an extremely large zenkai because there's not this sense of 'holy fucking shit, I'm so dead they're going to have to make up a new word to describe how dead I am.' Because Tarble knows that his team won't kill him. The same would apply to training because the body knows you're not going to train yourself to death because that would defeat the purpose.

There are exceptions. Ki sense gives the body a feeling of how strong an opponent is and reacts to the feeling of that strength. For training, Goku's 100x gravity accident would be a good example of what would be needed to net a larger training zenkai - it's completely unexpected, he was pushed beyond his limits, and he almost died.

I don't want zenkai's to be something that are farmed. Things will be picking up in terms of strength progression, but it won't because of abusing zenkai growth.

* * *

**Saiyan's current population and what happened to it. **

There aren't many. I would say maybe a couple of hundred at most, mostly Nurturers and Scientists with the Mechanics off working during the war. As for the warriors - at the start of the war, they did extremely well wherever they were. Enough so that Frieza took notice, but a major part of it was Bardock's team that really spearheaded their front. At times they took planets by themselves before the defenses became too much for the Team to handle alone.

And the reward for good work is more work. The saiyans were pushed to the top, given more dangerous missions, and so on until their numbers began to dwindle. Six years later, there are about fifty warriors left, but those fifty remaining have grown in strength until they're a head and shoulders above the chaff and you have Vegeta and Tarble, who are rapidly climbing their way up to the elite of Frieza's army.

* * *

**Broly and how he will be portrayed. **

If you're going to have Broly in a story, and do him justice, then you have to accept that Broly's power level is maximumer. He's the Legendary Super Saiyan and he was born in a class of his own. This was the original reason that Broly wasn't going to feature in the story because he's just this adorable angry 'I win' button. And to a lesser extent, that's the same reason I nearly wrote away Goku - I was worried that the story would become 'Broly/Goku's adventures with Tarble tagging along.'

When I say I was worried about them overshadowing Tarble, that's what I meant. I spent an entire arc giving Tarble the drive to become an active protagonist and I didn't want Broly to become what drove the story. Either because of his secrets, his strength, what he does or what happens to him.

The reason I've included Broly into the story is that I'm certain that won't be the case.

* * *

**Tarble's reaction to the bomb. **

This issue is that King Vegeta lied to him. It's one thing to send him on suicide missions and setting the bar incredibly high for Tarble to join the royal family. It's an entirely different can of worms to find out that a bomb that King Vegeta ordered planted was supposed to kill him before he ever got the chance to prove himself.

To Tarble, the elite-class was the bar that he had to reach to receive a reward. That reward being love that was denied to him because he was too weak. He reached the bar, he was accepted by his father, then he learns that his father tried some underhanded shit to murder him and his team. To Tarble, that implies that the reward that he fought and killed for wasn't on the table in the first place.

That's why he's upset.


	40. Touch of Inexperience

Elery watched the space ship go upward towards the sky until it disappeared behind the clouds. She clung to Mom's back, frowning up at the sky as she watched her brother disappear. She was only stopped when a hand reached back and ruffled her hair hard enough that Elery was sure that she was missing a couple of hairs now.

"What's with you, Elery?" Mom questioned. Elery batted away the hand or tried to at any rate. Mom was a lot more pestering than Brother, so she didn't let up until she was satisfied in torturing Elery for an answer.

Elery stubbornly refused for a few seconds, intent on looking up at the sky, trying to will the clouds to part so she could see Brother going to that other planet and to see him come back. However, Mom was relentless. "It's embarrassing…" Elery admitted, trying to keep her voice down so Not-Brother wouldn't hear her.

"What is? Did you and Tarble have a fight or something?" Mom asked as she turned away from the landing pad to walk toward Not-Brother. Which was the last thing Elery wanted, and she wanted to admit the problem even less.

"Brother...is really strong…" Elery started at last in a voice just above a whisper. She knew that. Old Man, Mom, and the Team always reminded her that Brother was stronger than them. Elery didn't really get it, but over time she learned that Brother had two people inside of him. There was Brother, who played with her and saved her tasty foods. Then there was Not-Brother. Not Not-Brother that didn't think that she was a princess, even though she totally was, but Not-Brother who…

Who could be really scary. When they were on a planet and the scouters told Brother that he had to go to war, Brother went away and became Not-Brother. Who didn't smile, or entertain her or anything. Not-Brother would pretend to be Brother, but they were too different. His eyes were really cold, his gaze cutting right through her and his eyes were that mean yellow color that she didn't like.

Brother was really strong, but Not-Brother was super strong. And he was really scary...but...not to her. Not-Brother tried to not be scary to her or the team or anyone else that was on their side. At least, he wasn't before. Then, back when they were sparring...she thought she was fighting Brother, but she was actually fighting Not-Brother. But his eyes weren't yellow…

Could it be that Brother was losing some unseen fight against Not-Brother for control of his body?!

"He is," Mom agreed, walking over to Not-Brother, who scowled in her direction. "And he's only going to get stronger, so you better step up your training or you're going to get left behind Elery." At that, Elery scowled as she clung to Mom's back.

An image of the fight that Not-Brother and Not-Brother had flashed before her eyes. She had put up her really powerful Bubble Shield to watch the fight with the others, but they were all swept away when the explosion's aftershock hit them. How much stronger would she have to get until her techniques did that instead of small explosions?

"Did you hear me Elery? Do I need to clean out your ears?" Mom questioned, making a shiver go down her spine.

"No!" Elery quickly refused with a shake of her head. Her ears still hurt from the last time that Mom had cleaned her ears. It was like she was trying to stab her brain or something. It really hurt. "I don't. And I'm going to get way stronger than Brother. And you too!" Elery declared, earning a chuckle from Mom.

She reached back and rubbed her head again, "well I look forward to it. I could always use another training partner." Mom said before they finally reached Not-Brother that refused to acknowledge her princessness.

"Mother," Not-Brother greeted with a nod of his head.

"Vegeta. What are you going to do with the time left home?" Mom asked, coming to a stop. Not-Brother's gaze darted upward in the direction Brother had left, raising her hopes that he was already back, but he wasn't. The jerk was trying to trick her and it almost worked.

"I was planning to spar with Tarble, but it seems that he had other plans," he commented, making Elery's eyes narrow. "I'll check in on my troops, I suppose."

"Have you passed on those techniques yet?" Mom questioned, making Not-Brother look away. "I know it's weird, but Tarble isn't wrong about this. None of them are going to live to see the end of the year unless they get those techniques and the Wrath State. We can't afford to waste time on them developing their own."

Elery scowled, knowing that she was included in that 'they.' She totally would survive until the end of the year! She didn't need the techniques or the Wrath State, she just wanted them because they were really cool and awesome.

"He's just giving them away," Not-Brother argued with a shake of his head. "It's completely backwards." At that, Mom sighed as she nodded. Elery frowned at the conversation. She liked Brother sharing his techniques. It meant that she got to learn them.

"I know," Mom repeated. "But think of it as them learning a foundation so they can develop their own techniques down the line so they won't keep needing to learn them from Tarble."

"That sounds like something he would say."

"That's because he said it."

Not-Brother let out a small huff that was almost a laugh. But for frowny people like Not-Brother, it might as well be one. She learned that from Borgos when she kept trying to get him to talk. Then, without any warning, Mom reached back and grabbed her by her armor before holding her out towards Not-Brother. Their eyes met before Not-Brother's eyes narrowed when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why don't you take Elery with you? She already knows them all, so she can help you teach them," Mom pointed out. Elery's first thought was to say no because she didn't like Not-Brother, but she gave the idea a quick think. If she taught the other elite-kids...didn't that kinda make her like Brother.

"Yeah!" Elery exclaimed, "I know all kinds of techniques! Bet I know more than you!" She added, earning a long sigh from Not-Brother. He looked at Mom as if asking if he really had to before he nodded reluctantly. Elery recognized it because that same expression appeared on the Team's face when Elery saw them and wanted them to play.

"Fine," Not-Brother agreed after a long moment, unable to find an excuse to not take her in time.

"Good. I figured the two of you needed to spend some time together," Mom commented. "I have to go...talk to your father about the other kids and get some food for when we deploy." Elery wasn't an idiot. She knew that when Mom said talk, she meant fight.

"Bye! Don't die and beat up a Vegeta!" Elery said, escaping Mom's grasp and sending her a smile and a wave. She couldn't remember which Vegeta Mom would be fighting. There were too many.

Mom let out a huff of laughter before she floated upward. "I'll be sure too," Mom said, giving both of them a smile before she blasted off. Once she was a spec in the distance, Elery turned to Not-Brother, who turned to her.

"Do you actually know any techniques?" He asked, sounding doubtful. Elery scowled at him, crossing her arms as she looked away sharply.

"I do! And I'm not going to show you any of them cus' you're mean and I don't like you," Elery informed, sneaking a peek at him, expecting No-Brother to break down and beg to learn her techniques. Instead, he simply shook his head as he let out a sigh.

"Don't fall behind. I won't wait for you if you do," he warned, ignoring her.

"I won't fall behind!" Elery started forcefully, glaring at Jerkface. After so long, Elery had no idea how bitter the taste of defeat was until she tasted victory. "You better make sure I don't leave you behind," she warned as she floated upward.

Jerkface cocked an eyebrow, "and how would you manage that when you don't know where my troops are located?" He asked, making her frown because he had a point.

"Shut up! I'll follow you until I see them then I'll zoom right past you!" Elery decided, picturing it in her head. They would be flying neck and neck until they saw the troops doing whatever they were doing, Jerkface would try to race ahead but he would be no match for her speed! She smiled at the thought while Jerkface simply sighed.

"I don't know how Tarble puts up with you," he commented more to himself than to her. He floated upward, ignoring her indignant 'hey' as he looked down at her. "If you don't keep up, I'll make sure an animal eats you."

"I-" Elery started to bluster that she would feed him to an animal, maybe the Sky King, after she kicked his butt, only for Jerkface to blast upwards. She quickly gave chase, going her max speed to close the distance, only for Jerkface to speed up as well so that the distance between them didn't close at all. Elery frowned, going her maximer speed, the wind hurting her eyes, her scouter helping some but not enough, as her hair was blown back, but even then the gap between them didn't close.

Gritting her teeth Elery pushed her maximer speed even further beyond. Her vision blurred until she couldn't really see anything and her face started to get pushed back. This...she had an idea! Thrusting out her hands, she formed a ki ball like a Destructo Disk, but she made it like a cone in front of her face. The ki shield protected her face, letting her go even further beyond that previous further beyond.

Even still, it wasn't enough.

Mega-Jerkface remained in front of her the entire way. They neared a field that her scouter picked up a whole bunch of power levels, and even when she tried her super-smart maneuver, she still wasn't able to close the distance. Elery frowned deeply, frustration bubbling in her chest. As Supreme-Mega-Jerkface came to a stop, Elery continued forward, aiming a kick at his face.

He dodged it easily, which didn't surprise her but it was really annoying. Especially when he began to mock her. "I'm not Tarble. I won't entertain your delusions of grandeur. I'm the most power saiyan alive, and-"

"No! No, you're not!" Elery refuted, glaring at Ultra-Mega-Supreme-Jerkface. "My Brother is!" She shouted above the field filled with a bunch of other kids fighting.

Ultra-Mega-Supreme-Jerkface smiled smugly at her, "then why did he lose?" He asked, talking about their fight. Elery's hands curled into fists, wanting to punch him in his really stupid face.

"Brother didn't lose!" Elery argued but she knew it wasn't true. Brother had said it himself that he lost...but...but…! "He let you win!" She accused, jabbing a finger at him. It was the only explanation. There was no way that Brother would ever lose at anything ever, much less a fight. He was way too strong. He was practically invincible and he could take on entire armies. Prince Tarble wasn't even close to being as strong as Brother.

That was the wrong thing to say. Elery knew it in her gut when Scary-Jerkface's face twisted. Anger radiated from him as he glared at her for saying that. Elery tried to keep the sudden bone-chilling fear off her face, but she knew she didn't manage to do it. For the briefest second, Elery thought he was going to hit her for saying that, like how Not-Brother hit her.

Scary-Jerkface opened his mouth to say something to her, only to pause for a second. And in that second, Elery seized the initiative.

"Sorry," Elery apologized. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She just wanted him to shut up.

Jerkface gathered himself before he let out a long breath. "Consoled by a child…" He muttered to himself with a shake of his head. He looked down at the field below them and for the first time, Elery bothered to pay attention to what was going on below.

It was an utter mess. A whole bunch of saiyans all down there. More than she trained with like a million times over. Some of them were fighting, some were eating and the rest were doing both at the same time. Which was a really awesome skill she needed to learn. However, what she noticed was that some of the kids had really familiar hairstyles.

"Kakarot?" Elery muttered, flying down to, ignoring Sensitive-Jerkface. She saw his hairstyle - it was really funny looking so it was easy to spot even among a whole bunch of saiyans. From there, she spotted Olaive and a few others from her class. Elery turned her attention to some of the ones that stood across from them, then took in the stretch of land that they stood on.

They were fighting. Both sides were injured, but not too badly. The battlefield looked like it suffered the most. The people she didn't recognize suffered a close second.

"I wanna join!" Elery announced her presence, making all of them look up at her. "What are we fighting over?" She asked, landing next to Olaive, her rival nodded as she settled into a stance. However, it wasn't her that answered.

"It's not fair that you get to fight with Prince Tarble! We want to switch!" A saiyan with long hair that looked really soft shouted.

"You can't switch!" Olaive shouted right back, looking like she was about to walk over to smack some sense into the boy's hair. Olaive said something else, but Elery wasn't paying attention. She glanced up to look at Sensitive-Jerkface, who looked down at them all with a very blank expression. But, after dealing with Not-Brother, Elery learned to recognize the hidden anger in his eyes and how his hands were clenched into fists so tight that they trembled.

Instead of blowing them all up, Sad-And-Sensitive-Jerkface lowered himself. The fact that she was looking up alerted everyone else to his presence. When he touched down, Elery saw some pale faces on the other side as they looked at Sad-And-Sensitive-Jerkface warily. The silence spread from where he landed until, within a minute, the clearing that was once filled with noise was incredibly quiet.

And she really had to cough.

"You," said Sad-And-Angry-Jerkface, turning to look at one of the saiyans on the other side of him. "You want to leave my army? I'll give you one chance to explain why before I execute you for desertion." The saiyan that he singled out paled, glancing at the few that flanked him, only for them to take a step away to avoid getting blasted with him.

The saiyan hesitated for a moment before his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Because we want to learn techniques!" He declared, apparently accepting his death and determined to voice his opinion as his final words. "All of Prince Tarble's troops got to learn a whole bunch of techniques and we haven't learned any! And...and Prince Tarble is the Arch-Nemesis for the Reach, so he's going to get all of the really awesome fights!"

Elery shifted from foot to foot as she shook her head. It wasn't like she didn't get why everyone thought that Brother was Prince Tarble. It was a really easy mistake to make. But Prince Tarble wore a mask and talked in a really funny way and he was the leader of the Hero-force. Brother was in charge of fleets and armies and stuff. Even Mom listened to Brother when he said to do something, so she was pretty sure that Brother was more important to that Frieza guy.

Sad-And-Angry-Jerkface nodded, crossing his arms as if he was making a promise to not blast anyone. "Then we'll have to change that, won't we?" He asked, smiling a smile that could be mistaken as kind. "But I won't waste my time teaching trash."

One of the saiyans that had walked away from Long-Soft-Hair suddenly found his courage. "We aren't trash!" He snapped at Sad-And-Angry-Jerkface, "we're the elite-class!"

"You're weak," Scary-And-Angry-Jerkface refuted flatly. "And if you think a power level is all that matters in a fight, then you're sorely mistaken. I might as well kill you now and save us all some time," he threatened, earning nervous glances even as saiyans settled into their fighting stance. A tension unlike anything Elery had ever felt before seemed to fall upon the clearing as his words carried.

Because Brother was gone.

Scary-And-Angry-Jerkface let the tension soak in as he turned his back to them to look at his troops. "But that would be a waste," he said after a too-long pause. "Instead, who gets to learn my brother's techniques will be decided...by a free for all. The last hundred saiyans left standing will be my commanders and receive the highest honor of being assigned to my personal taskforce."

"But-" some started to argue, but Scary-And-Angry-Jerkface cut them off.

"War is different than any combat you've experienced so far. It's a mess. Strength matters less than you would think and at times it all comes down to dumb luck if you live or die," he spoke, his voice level but it seemed to carry over the field. "Not all of those hundred left standing will be the strongest, or the smartest, or the most competent. But if you can win this battle than it shows me you have what it takes to fight in a war that's completely beyond you."

He paused for a moment. "I'll be generous enough to give you a hint on how to survive so pay attention because I won't repeat myself: A saiyans mind is their greatest weapon," Scary-And-Confusing-Jerkface said, giving that a moment to sink in. Once that moment passed, he spoke a single word.

"Begin."

At once, the entire clearing exploded into chaos. Saiyans turned to those standing next to them and started fighting, only to be attacked from behind by others. The familiar sounds of explosions rang in her ears, wind hitting her face as she watched thousands of saiyans fight in one big mess.

A smile tugged at her cheeks as her gaze landed on one Saiyan with a scar on his cheek. She lunged to go attack him, only for a hand to grab her by the back of her armor. It stretched a bit, but not enough to let her escape and join the chaotic fight. "Hey-" she started to shout ut, only for

Scary-And-Confusing-Jerkface to fly up with her dragging behind him.

Elery turned around, biting down on his gloved hand to make him let her go, and it worked. Her teeth hurt a bit, but it was well worth the price for her freedom. However, before she flew back down there to join the fight, she noticed that Olaive, Kakarot and the others had followed them up.

"Unless you want to follow me in battle, then don't get involved. This is for my soldiers only," Jerkface told her as he looked down at the thousands of battles raging down below. Elery looked down as well, her hands curling into fists. She wanted to fight, but she didn't want to follow Jerkface. Maybe she could go down there and fight then get Brother to make sure she stuck with him?...No…

"...Fine," Elery decided reluctantly, pouting as she watched the fights she could be taking part in.

"Good." Jerkface said, looking down. Already some were laying on the ground defeated. Elery didn't think they were dead, though- "Which ones do you think will win?"

The question from him caught her off guard, making her glance at Kakarot and Olaive, who simply shrugged in response. Elery pressed down on her scouter-

"Hey!" Elery shouted when Super-Duper-Ultra-Mega-Supreme-Jerkface grabbed her scouter with a hand and crushed it after yanking it off her face. She glared at him before launching an attack, aiming to kick him in the side of his head, but he effortlessly caught her foot. Unlike Brother, when he grabbed down, he did it hard enough to hurt.

She sucked in a breath before she wound up her leg and tried to kick him again, only to freeze in place as his black eyes flashed yellow for a moment.

"Didn't you just hear me? There's more to winning than power levels. Mother and Tarble have clearly been too soft on you," he said more to himself than to her. And despite her fear of his yellow eyes, she kicked him in the face. Or, at least she tried before he lazily tossed her to the side.

"Tarble and Mother care about you, which is the only reason why I'm bothering with you," he growled at her, his voice nearly lost in the explosions below. "Do you honestly think that you could ever actually hurt me just throwing yourself at me?" He asked, making Elery frown.

No. She didn't. Jerkface...was just too strong. Almost as strong as Not-Brother, who was stronger than Mom, who was stronger than the Team, who was stronger than Lotuce, who was stronger than her. But…!

"I bet we could land some hits on you if we teamed up!" Olaive announced before she flew over next to Elery. Kakarot joined not a second later, floating on the other side of her. Elery smiled so wide that her face hurt as she settled into a fighting stance. The others that had joined them originally made no move to join them.

"No, all you'll manage to do is to die together." Jerkface dismissed, not even looking at them as he continued to watch the chaos down below. By now, some others had joined them in the air and the battlefield was expanding. "I'll ask again - who do you think is going to win?"

Elery stared at Jerkface for a long second, thinking that the question sounded a lot like something Brother would ask her. Her lips thinned before she looked down at the chaos below that she wanted to join in on. She was struck by how different it was compared to how Brother did things.

There was no teamwork that Brother insisted was so important. Her eyes found one saiyan who looked like he was teaming up with another saiyan to take down a third, but as soon as their common enemy was defeated, they started fighting each other. That same story was repeated hundreds of times, over and over and over.

"How am I supposed to know! They're too many!" Elery decided, wondering if this was some kind of trick question to make her look dumb.

Jerkface spared her a glance before he pointed down at one saiyan. It took her a moment to figure out which one he was pointing at, but she spotted a saiyan with short spiky hair with a scar that cut through one of his eyebrows at an angle. Elery watched him for a moment and saw what Jerkface was talking about.

The saiyan wasn't standing out and he spent more time maneuvering than he did fighting. The few times that he did fight were short bouts, usually surprise attacks or cheap shots. The number of defeated saiyans at his hands steadily ticked upward but no one gave him a second look as he moved on, constantly moving across the battlefield.

"Because Tarble is close to you, I'll teach you something that it took me years to learn," Jerkface said, bringing her attention back to him. "How you fight matters more than how hard you fight. You need to be aware of every detail on the battlefield and exploit every advantage."

"That sounds like something Brother keeps saying," Elery noted, earning a nod from Jerkface.

"He's better at it than me," he admitted. "Our father tried to drill that lesson into my head, but I was too stubborn to listen. It's only recently that I started to...hm. That doesn't matter," he said...but Elery got the feeling that it mattered a lot, but he didn't want to talk about it. Her gaze landed on the scar on his neck and wondered if that had anything to do with it. "The point is that you can't brute force your way through everything. You have to use your head and think."

Jerkface glanced at her, "otherwise, if you keep fighting as you do...then you're dead the first time someone isn't there to protect you."

Elery started to bluster, only to fall silent as an uneasy sensation gripped her. She could still feel Not-Brother punching her in the stomach hard enough that she fell to the ground, curled up where she was hit, and waiting for the pain in her stomach to go away. Not only that...Elery hadn't won a fight until they came to Planet Vegeta. Brother, Mom, and the Team were too strong for her.

She only started winning when her opponents got way weaker.

"He's conserving his strength and pacing himself. That's what I'm looking for. That's what you need if you're going to survive. If he went all out at the start, even if he defeats a thousand others, he's going to lose the moment he fights a fresh or stronger opponent. Watch him and learn." Maybe-Not-A-Total-Jerkface instructed.

And she did. Minutes turned into hours as the fight below them raged. As every minute ticked by, dozens were left injured and out of the fight. Some rejoined later, but most stayed on the ground. Some of them were out cold from their injuries since they weren't moving at all. Elery followed the boy's fight as hours began to go by and the numbers of fighters began to dwindle.

It didn't take long to see what Somewhat-Jerkface meant. As time went by, others began to tire themselves out. Scar-Face was still fresh while those that he fought were exhausted. And as time went by, it became increasingly clear who else had the same idea as Scar-Face.

"She's going to win too!" Elery pointed out a girl with a really cool hairstyle. It was kinda short on the sides but down the middle it was spiked upward. Somewhat-Jerkface looked over at where she was pointing just in time to see Cool-Hair send one saiyan into another before beating both of them up with a few punches.

"So you can learn," he commented lightly. Elery glared at him before she grew determined to find all of the other ones that fought like that just to rub it in his stupid looking face. Elery quickly found three others, and she noticed that all of them fought in a similar way. The actual fighting couldn't be more different, but how they approached fighting was alike.

And, despite herself, Elery started to understand what Somewhat-Jerkface meant. He was showing her what Brother had been telling her for ages.

More time passed as the fight drew to a close. There was no explosive finale like she wanted, but, as the sun started to go away, there were a hundred saiyans left standing. Then Jerkface gave the order for them to fight until there were only ten left.

Scar-Face, Cool-Hair, Soft-Hair, and seven others that she hadn't seen fight. Which was really weird because she saw others that fought like them- had they lost?!

Those ten floated upward so they flew in front of Somewhat-Jerkface. All of them were sporting injuries, some worse than others. Somewhat-Jerkface held out a hand before a dark purple light emerged from his hand before he tossed it up. A Medicine-Ball. Intense purple light washed away the wounds on the chosen ten, but not just them either. Everyone below had their wounds healed by the Medicine-Ball.

Yet...there were some that didn't get up, and it looked like their wounds were staying? Why wasn't it working on them?

"You ten are now a part of my personal task force. You've done well so far, but now the bar has just gotten higher," Somewhat-Jerkface spoke, looking over the ten who marveled at their vanishing wounds. "Because I have no patience for weak trash. If you want to keep this position, then you must become stronger."

He smirked, "here is your next challenge. The ten of you must become the strongest out of the twenty-four thousand eight hundred and eighty-three down there. Your position can be challenged by any one of them at any time. And, out of the ten of you, the strongest of you will serve as my right hand."

Ahhh...boring stuff, Elery thought disinterestedly, looking down at the battlefield to see a bunch of saiyans up and running. Yet, her gaze landed on one that wasn't moving. He laid down in a puddle of blood, his wounds weren't closed and he seemed really pale…

Oh…

He was dead.

Elery blinked once. It was the first time she saw a body of a saiyan. And the few bodies that she saw before were in the refrigerator when the Team found a race that tasted good. It looked a lot different than she thought it would.

"Yeah...we hear you, Prince Vegeta," Cool-Hair said, sounding excited for the prospect. Scar-Face nodded while the others also voiced their agreement.

"Elery," Kinda-Jerkface said, getting her attention. "Teach them my brother's techniques. Only the one's he's given permission for." Elery nodded as she floated forward, putting her hands on her hips as she puffed out her chest.

"I'm Princess Elery!" She introduced herself, ignoring a long-suffering sigh by Jerkface behind her. "The first technique I'll show is the super cool Bubble Shield!" She followed through with a basic shield, "you push your ki out your hands into a shield like this: fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!"

"What's ki?" Scar-Face asked, earning a shrug from Elery as she formed her bubble shield.

"It's what my brother calls your inner energy stuff," Elery answered, making Scar-Face's eyes widen as he nodded eagerly. They were quick learners, Elery saw as the ten of them quickly managed to form a shield.

"Next is the Kamehameha!" Elery said, clasping her hands to her side. "Brother says that it's a good base for you to create your own techniques, so don't stick with this one forever, or I'll beat you up," she warned. "You gather your ki like this: hmmmm! Then you make it smaller and pack more of it in your hands like this: HMMMMMMMM!" Then she thrusted her hands out to the side, "then you go HA!"

Her Kamehameha wasn't as strong as Brother's. Yet. She waited for the others to give it a try and each of them managed it on their first. It was a rather simple technique, but it was one that got stronger with you, which is why Brother still used it.

"Up next is the Destructo Disk!" Elery said, holding out her hand as a disk of bright blue ki. "You flatten your ki like this: squish! Then you spin it really fast like: FWOOSH! After that, you throw it! Brother can expand it when it hits something, but I don't know how to do that yet," she admitted.

After that was the Medicine-Ball-

Elery's thoughts came to an abrupt halt when, as she formed the technique, a bunch of ships jumped into view just above them, visible thanks to the clear sky. A whole bunch of ships, higher than she could count easily. She blinked a few times at them, wondering if Brother had brought them back from wherever he was.

That thought was put out of her mind when beams of light began to fire downward, slamming into the ground with massive explosions that made her heart jump to her throat.

"We're under attack by the Reach!" Elery shouted, readying herself for a fight, only for Jerkface to shove her to the side as she glared up at the ships above. Rage was etched into his face, which was twisted into a snarl.

"Those aren't Reach ships," he corrected as he formed ki blasts, firing them at a laser that was aimed at the troops below, a bright light blinding her for a second, making Elery wish that she still had her scouter.

"We're being attacked by the Frieza-force!"

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	41. Touch of Evil

"We have to fight!" Elery shouted, not caring who was attacking them. The Reach, the Frieza-force - it didn't matter! Brother cared about this planet for whatever reason, and that was all the reason Elery needed to kick the butt of whoever was attacking.

Next to her Olaive nodded fiercely. "Yeah! Let's go show them who's boss!" Her rival looked ready to fight, eyeing the drop pods hungrily as thousands of them began to rain down from the sky. An army was landing on Planet Vegeta like the Team did to Reach planets. Looking at them streak across the sky, rushing towards the ground…

Elery felt nothing but excitement. At long last, she would be fighting on a battlefield. She was going to partake in the great fight known as war and she couldn't wait. All the other saiyans seemed to enjoy it a lot and now she couldn't finally find what the fuss was about.

"A single fleet," Jerkface commented, looking up at the sky. His gaze drifted over to the drop pods before he pressed down on his scouter. Elery wished she could do the same, but Jerkface broke hers. "And the army is trash. This isn't Frieza's doing. If it was, then he'd be here to wipe us out himself." He sounded weirdly reassured by that.

Before she could ask him why they just didn't beat up Frieza anyway, Jerkface looked at her with blazing yellow eyes. "I'll deal with the army while my father takes out the ships. You lot can entertain yourselves what the scraps that manage to flee." Elery opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off before she could begin. "If you try to join the fight, you'll die. I won't suffer their presence any longer than necessary so I won't hold back."

An image of his fight with Not-Brother filled her mind. Of the massive explosion that had rocked the planet and she could barely watch the fight, it was so intense.

Elery hesitated. And the fact Kakarot and Olaive did too was telling.

Jerkface didn't wait for her answer. He turned his back to her without another word and blasted off in the direction of the drop pods. It didn't take long until he was just a speck in the distant speck in the distance. Elery watched him go, feeling insulted, disappointed, and...scared at the idea that she could be killed because Jerkface didn't want to hold back.

"We should regroup with our teams," Kakarot spoke, looking up at the sky.

Elery made a face. She didn't want to fight with people that kept calling her a baby. However, Kakarot gave her a small frown as he glanced down at her. "If they're attacking...doesn't that mean that they think they can win? They might not have expected your brothers to be here, but...that means that they think they could kill us even if King Vegeta was here."

Olaive nodded, "that makes sense. We should group up and start looking for cowards that ran away from the fight." Elery still didn't want to, but if she disagreed now, then she would be the jerk that didn't want to do what everyone else did. And she didn't like it when others didn't do what she wanted them to, so she especially didn't want to be that jerk.

"Okay…" Elery said with some reluctance. The three of them turned around, the few others from their group. Well, it could be fun beating up bad guys with everyone else.

"Wait!" One of the boys from Jerkface's team shouted out before they could take off. Elery looked over her shoulder to see that it was Scar-Face. He gazed seriously at her, his lips thinned as lights flashed in the distance as an orbital strike hit the ground some distance away. "Take us with you. I want to learn Prince Tarble's techniques while I still have the chance."

"But you're on Jerkface's side," Elery pointed out, making the group of ten glance at each other before they realized who she was talking about.

"He's left us, so I don't think he would care," Cool-Hair explained, and Elery didn't think she was wrong about that. Jerkface didn't seem like he cared about anyone but himself. And maybe Brother.

Though… "What about all of them?" Elery asked, pointing down at the countless saiyans who began to leave the clearing to find cover or to chase down stray drop pods. "Should we take them with us? If we did, then we could have a super huge army!" Elery liked the idea a lot. Princess General Elery.

The others shrugged their shoulders. "They can do what they want," they dismissed the thousands below altogether. Elery nodded, accepting that answer easily enough before she turned around.

"Come on!" She waved at them to follow as they blasted off into the distance, keeping one eye upward. The fleet was continuing to fire down upon the planet, really big explosions lighting up the distance and Elery wished she still had her scouter. If only to figure out what they were shooting at. Elery knew that there were other cities, but they were mostly empty.

"We should go to my Mom's house. She'll probably take everyone there since it's out of the way," Kakarot shouted over the rushing wind. Elery nodded, leading all of them from the front because of her super awesome technique to go faster. They blasted through the air, racing towards the cliff that Kakarot's Mom lived in. As they rushed in from above, Elery saw that they weren't the first with the idea.

A group of aliens had landed near the cliff. They were surrounded by the hundred saiyans she trained with, and they wore expressions that aliens tended to wear when they were scared of fighting. Even still, they stood back to back and aimed their weapons at those that surrounded them but didn't dare to fire. Not when everyone was arguing who would get to beat them up.

However, Elery spotted Kakarot's mom, who watched the chaos. From what she understood, she wasn't that strong, but everyone did what she said anyway. Because she was a grown-up? Elery just did what she said because everyone else did and Brother told her to.

She looked up as they approached and looked happy to see them. "You're alright. I was worried about you. Matillo and Queen Teach have gone to organize the other children, so you should be getting orders from them soon."

Elery smiled at that. So they would get to fight in war after all! Then she turned her attention to the squad of aliens that watched with fearful expressions at the saiyans arguing who got to beat them up. "What about them?"

"They landed not too far from here. I think they might have been blown off course. The children were very insistent that they should deal with them but they can't seem to decide who exactly," Kakarot's mom explained with a faint smile. Elery recognized it as the smile that people had when there was something wrong, but they were pretending that nothing was.

Elery looked at the squad, then at the saiyans that surrounded them, a frown tugging at her lips. Then one Saiyan punched another, and she got an idea!

"Let's have a competition!" Elery shouted, drawing some attention to her but her shouting was lost in everyone else shouting. So, to get everyone's attention, she broke through the encirclement until she was near the squad of Frieza-force. They flinched back, aiming their guns at her. Elery looked at them, but she wasn't very impressed.

Kakarot thought these guys would be strong… but they looked pretty weak to her. They were so weak that they had to use guns. All of them looked funny too, but mostly weird. Like they were trying to look like saiyans but messed up really badly. It was kinda funny.

Elery turned her back to them to address everyone else since they were looking at her, thinking that she was going to steal the prey. "Let's have a competition to see who gets to deal with them!" She repeated, and this time everyone heard her. The other saiyans glanced amongst themselves, their arguments stopping as they considered the idea.

"Why should we do what you say, you baby?! I'm the strongest! I should be the one that fights them!" Arch-Enemy #1 said, flanked by her other teammates.

Elery glared at them, "you're not the strongest! I'll prove it by kicking your ass!" She shouted, jabbing a finger at her Arch-Enemies/Teammates.

Kakarot's mom rushed in, pulling her away from the Frieza-force guys behind her and put herself between them. For a moment, Elery thought she was going to take them for herself, but instead, she spoke. "I think Elery's idea is a good one. Since Prince Tarble of the Hero-force thinks it so important, don't you want to fight together as teams?"

Eww! No! She was supposed to beat up her Arch-Enemies, not fight with them!

But, to her dawning horror, everyone seemed to like the idea. Her gaze darted to her enemies to see them looking back at her with the same disgruntlement. Before she could protest, the prearranged teams began to group up in preparation. Even the people from Jerkface's side had split up into two teams.

Again, she couldn't protest because everyone else would just call her a baby. If she could fight on Olaive or Kakarot's team, then she wouldn't mind too much. With no small amount of reluctance, Elery flew over to her Arch-Enemies in preparation for the competition. Arch-Enemy #1 scowled right back at her as she approached.

"Just stay close to us. We'll fight like one big fist that punches everyone in the face," Arch-Enemy #1 said, a fierce grin on her face as she punched her palm for emphasis. Her hair was cut in a bob with one lock of hair drifting down until it reached the tip of her nose. So it was less cool than her and Brother's lock of hair which only went down to their eyebrows.

Arch-Enemies #2-4 voiced their agreement but Elery was silent. Her gaze darted to the team that had already fought in one competition already. They were strong, but Elery knew that they were tired. Then her gaze drifted over to Kakarot and Olaive. They had been close enough to hear what Jerkface had told her. Then Elery turned her attention to the other fifteen teams of five.

Jerkface's words echoed in her head, making her hands curl into fists. An uncomfortable truth squeezed at her heart and made her tummy clench.

If she fought them all, then there was no way that she would win. But hanging back and not throwing herself into the fight felt wrong. There had to be a better way than his Scar-Face and the others did it.

"Follow me!" Elery told her Arch-Enemies. "I have an idea that'll make sure that we win!" While Elery spoke, Kakarot's mom moved the prizes off of the battleground. They didn't have much time before the competition began.

Arch-Enemy #1 gave her a sharp look before her eyes narrowed. We'll, more than they already were. Now it just kinda looked like she was squinting at her. "Do you think it'll work?" She asked, not even asking what the plan was.

Elery blinked at the weird question. "Course I do? Why would I want to do a plan that wouldn't work?" Before Arch-Enemy #1 could tell her how good of a point she just made, Kakarot's mom stepped into the center of the clearing where the prizes were earlier.

"There are a few rules for this competition," she decided. Elery couldn't wait until she was so strong or an adult so she could start deciding rules. "There is no killing allowed and for your team to be victorious, every member of your team must be conscious and able to fight." Her words made a bunch of the other saiyans look at their team, glaring at their weaker members.

Kakarot got glared at a lot. Elery wasn't sure why though. Sure, he was kinda weak, but he was really good at techniques, and Brother always said that there was more to a fight than power levels.

"Ready?" Kakarot's Mom asked, looking around. "Begin!"

Countless fights broke out before Elery's eyes as some groups turned on whoever was closest while others rushed towards a particular group. She recognized every attack that was being prepared as fights broke out all around her. However, despite the chaos, Elery had eyes on two groups - Olaive and Kakarot's. Taking in a breath, she formed a bubble shield to protect her from any stray blasts.

"Follow me," Elery ordered, darting into the tick of the fight to find Olaive first. Elery didn't look behind her to see if she was followed by her Arch-Enemies. Regardless of if they followed or not, she was going to stick to her plan and throw herself into the fight.

A ki blast hit her shield, knocking her off course, but it held strong. She turned around to find out who attacked her, only to see that the idiot that had got taken out by someone else. The two teams turned on each other and clashed above her, leaving Elery forgotten. She puffed out her cheeks, glaring up at the ones that had attacked her then forgotten about her a second later.

But there was a saying that Brother told her. The mission, the team, then pride. She had a mission right now so she would have to beat them all up later.

Turning away, Elery blasted forward, spotting Olaive. Her team was engaged with another, clashing as two units. Her lips tugged into a smile when she saw that Olaive's team was still at full strength. Her eyes found an opponent - a weakened team down to three members already. Looks like she found her first opponents while Olaive was mopping up that other team.

"Come-" Elery started, dropping her shield, only to be hit with a sound. She looked over, far off in the distance, that battle pausing for a moment as everyone else did the same. A really far ways away, in the direction Jerkface went in, a massive explosion of light seemed to push back the darkening sky. Elery recognized the kind of explosion, having seen it before when Not-Brother went to war.

It was for that reason Elery recovered first and knew what was coming in a matter of seconds. While her prey was distracted by flashy explosions, Elery shot forward. With a grin on her face, she raised a fist, her target sensing something wrong before he looked over at her. His eyes widened right before her fist slammed into his face, sending him flying away.

That alerted the others, but Elery was already moving. She darted to the second Prey, she had enough time to react. Prey #2 threw up a forearm to block a jab at her face. She scowled at her, "that's not fair! You can't attack us when we're not paying attention!" She shouted, frowning at Elery like she was some kind of cheap-shot taking cheater.

"Yes, I can! Brother says that you can't get distracted on the battlefield!" Elery defended her surprise attack, throwing a kick towards the girl's face. Prey #1 had recovered, moving in with Prey #3 to surround her. Elery grinned as she broke off from Prey #2 and formed a bubble shield around herself. If her timing was right, then-

It was. The shockwave of the explosion reached them. Even though they were pretty far away, the shockwave was more than a funny feeling going through them, but it hit like a wall of wind. Her prey were surprised by it, bracing themselves against the wall of wind. At that moment, she threw herself back into the fight.

Dropping the shield, Elery spun sharply and kicked Prey #2 in the face while she cupped her hands by her side. Not wanting to give her position away, Elery was forced to whisper, "Kamehameha…!" Before she launched the ki attack at Prey #1. He reacted fast, throwing up a bubble shield, but Elery felt the quickly made shield crumble under her attack when she used Prey #2 as a springboard to launch herself closer to him.

Her attack washed over him and when the beam of light faded, Prey #2's smoking body fell downwards to the ground. He tried to maintain his flight, but his consciousness faded, making him plummet. One down, two left. Prey #2 and 3 rushed her from both sides and Elery welcomed the challenge. The awe from the explosion was quickly wearing off from everyone else, so the noise of countless fights surrounding her erupted once again.

This was what she wanted, Elery realized as she blocked a punch, countered, only to be forced to back up when Prey #3 attacked her from the side. Her blood sang in her veins as she scored a kick to the stomach, her fists flying in blurs as she fought off the remaining two. Pain blossomed in her back when one of them managed to kick her, then in her face where one punched her, but Elery repaid those attacks in full.

A good fight. Fighting Mom and Brother was like trying to climb a mountain when you couldn't fly, but every time you thought you made some progress, the mountain got bigger.

Elery tasted blood in her mouth as she shot forward, focusing on the fight- Her heart dropped when Prey #3 took a ki blast to the back. Her eyes darted to the source to find that it was a saiyan from some random team. He shot a smirk at her before he raised his hand to aim at her, only to be kicked in the gut so hard that he folded in half around the boot of… Arch-Enemy #1.

So her team had followed her. And they were screwing up her fight- oh… wait… they were supposed to fight as a team. Elery forgot. Even still, Elery turned her attention to her final opponent, intent on taking her out before anyone else could. Prey #2 glared right back at her before she flew over, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

Elery rushed to meet her halfway, weaving around a ki blast that wasn't aimed at her but another team. She even took the opportunity to kick one saiyan in the face as she flew by, just relishing the fight. "I'm gonna kick your ass!" Elery shouted happily, throwing a punch that was caught by Prey #2, while Elery caught a punch thrown at her. Prey #2 glared at her while she grinned fiercely. The Elery threw her arms out wide, opening up Prey #2's defenses before she craned her head back and head-butted the other girl.

"Ugh!" Prey #2 grunted, unprepared for the sudden assault. Just like she was unprepared for Elery to grab her by the shoulders, crane her head back so far that her feet could have touched the back of her head, before Elery's forehead slammed into hers again with a heavy thunk. It hurt her brain, but, based on how Prey #2 staggered, Elery figured it hurt her more. And that made it worth it.

"Yeah!" Elery happily cheered, punching Prey #2 in the face as she ducked underneath a wild swing. She had this in the bag! With a fierce grin on her face, Elery punched Prey #2 in the face again, snapping her head to the side. She almost flew away from her, but Elery caught her by the armor. Holding her up, Elery slammed her fist into Prey #2, her head snapping back from the blow. Then she hit her again. And again. And again -

Wait. "Oh," Elery realized as she hesitated to punch Prey #2's bloodied face, her white gloves covered in it. She wasn't fighting back. Why wasn't she fighting back? "Are you dead?" Elery questioned, feeling really worried. Kakarot's mom said that there was no killing allowed and she didn't wasn't to get disqualified.

"What's the plan you were talking about," Arch-Enemy #3 asked, floating by her. Her team took up a defensive position around her. Elery dropped Prey #2, the other girl falling to the ground with a busted face. Elery looked over to Olaive, just in time to see her team mopping up another. Perfect.

"Olaive!" Elery shouted, waving at her rival. Her rival's team turned to face her, ready to fight while Olaive did the same. Elery darted over, leaving her Arch-Enemies behind for the moment so no one else could listen in on her secret plan. "Let's have our teams team up to beat everyone else! Then, when it's just us, we could have a second competition between us!"

Olaive's eyes lit up at the prospect of fighting her again, just like how Elery was excited to fight her rival again too. She seemed to consider it for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah, I don't don't see a problem with it so long as you don't steal any fights from us," Olaive agreed. And now while everyone else would be fighting with groups of five, they would fight with ten!

Elery felt rather proud of herself. This was kinda like what Jerkface was talking about earlier, wasn't it? Fighting smarter instead of harder.

"I won't! What about Kakarot?" She asked, their group forming up with some reluctance.

"His team already lost. Kakarot got taken out and beaten up," Olaive informed, making Elery frown. She wanted to have a three-way fight between their teams, but Elery guessed there wasn't much she could do about that now.

With a fierce grin on her face, Elery threw herself into the fight with Olaive's team fighting by her side. The next few minutes were a blur of action and fighting that was only broken up when Elery clashed against familiar faces.

This was fun. That thought repeated in her head as she punched Scar-Face in the face. She felt kinda bad about it. He was already tired from fighting his own competition, but Brother said that the battlefield doesn't care how tired you are. She hoped that they could fight again when he was rested up.

And, in the end, her plan worked. The numbers began to dwindle as more saiyans fell out of the sky, unable to get back up. They gathered at the sidelines, healed by Kakarot's mom with a Medicine Ball. One by one the teams fell until only two remained. Her and Olaive's.

"Hehe!" Elery grinned, covered in splatters of blood from her enemies. Olaive met her grin from across from her. "Now-"

"W-Wait!" Another voice shouted out right before they could begin the clash that would decide the winner. Elery paused, looking over at the source, and saw it was one of the funny-looking aliens that they were fighting over who got to fight them. With everyone's gaze on him, the alien stepped forward and tried to control his obvious fear. He was...stupid? Brother had a word for it, but Elery couldn't remember what it was. Brave, or something.

"I… would like a clarification about the rules," he requested, looking at Kakarot's mom. "We will fight the victor...but..should we win...what happens?"

Kakarot's mom looked caught off guard by the question. Elery didn't know why because the answer was obvious.

"Then you fight the runner up, of course!" Olaive answered, sounding like she thought that was the stupidest question that she had ever heard. And it kind of was.

The funny-looking alien pressed its lips together. "And is this fight to the death?" He asked, keeping his voice level.

"Duh! How else are we supposed to eat you?" One of Elery's Arch-Enemies pointed out, earning nods all around.

"We could just eat their arms and legs though. Borgos says that his arm isn't really his arm, but it's some kind of fake. We could give them fake arms and legs," Elery pointed out. And instead of looking thankful that they were only going to get their limbs eaten, and get new ones later, the weak aliens looked at her horrified.

"Whose Borgos?" Olaive asked but before Elery could answer, the funny looking alien spoke again.

"You…" He started, his voice a low whisper. "Really are evil," he spoke more to himself than to anyone else. Even still, his voice carried. His team behind him flinched, trembling as they looked around at the saiyans that surrounded them. "I thought… children are meant to be pure and innocent. I thought that you could be saved… but down to the core, you saiyans are evil."

Elery scowled at the alien. Why was he calling them names?! "Well, you're dumb! And weak," she shouted at him, wanting to fly down there and punch him in the face. But she hadn't beaten up Olaive yet.

"I didn't agree with this mission… but now I see that it must be completed. Spirits guide me," he spoke, his voice full of grief. Then he dropped his gun because his hands began to glow. Kakarot's mom reacted instantly, darting forward in a blur that Elery could barely follow, closing the short distance between her and the squad of funny-looking aliens. It was impossible to see if she got them because a blinding white flash of light filled the clearing.

Elery narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the blinding light. Her vision was filled with after images, but once it began to fade, Elery saw the squad of funny-looking aliens standing on a white platform as they flew away. Her prize was getting away! Well, most of them. One funny looking alien stayed behind and he was holding Kakarot's mom back with a white barrier, but the rest were getting away.

"You're not getting away so easily! Olaive! Follow me!" Elery shouted as she blasted forward after her prize. Seriously, what were they thinking?! They were supposed to wait until she had beaten up Olaive so she could beat them up!

"Elery, don't-" Kakarot's mom shouted as she and Olaive's teams took off after the group of four, but Elery wasn't listening. Kakarot's mom was already taking one of her prizes, and now the competition was messed up, she had to chase down the prizes quickly before the others realized that they could jump in the fight.

Elery growled to herself, going her further beyond maximer speed. "Get back here, you… you… you half-tail cowards!" Elery screamed the vilest curse she could think of at her fleeing prizes. She pulled ahead, leaving her team behind, closing the distance between them. It was slow, but her progress was steady. And it didn't go unnoticed.

The funny but stupid/brave alien turned around to look at her. His saiyan-like face was set in a look that reminded her when Brother became Not-Brother. His light blue face made his black eyes stand out a lot, while his short hair was a dark purple. The flying white platform slowed a fraction, much to the screeching dissent from his comrades.

"Begone spawn of evil," he sneered at her before his eyes glowed white, as did his hands. A ki blast of white light shot from his hands, but Elery dodged it easily.

"Your attacks suck!" She taunted, cupping her hands to her side as her teams finally caught up with them. "Kame… hameHa!" She shouted, quickly launching her attack. It rushed towards the aliens and all the while, Olaive flanked right, a Destructo Disk floating above one of her palms. "Hey, they're mine-!" Elery started to shout, only to cut herself off. Her attack slammed into something, halting before it started to be pushed back.

Olaive launched her Destructo Disk, the rest of her team following suit to prep their own attacks while Elery's Arch-Enemies did the same. Why was everyone trying to interfere with her fight?! Regardless of her protests, the attacks slammed into where the aliens were floating, explosions rocking the air, blocking her view of who got them. Then, through the smoke, Elery saw a white bubble, like her own bubble shield, protecting the funny-looking aliens.

The four of them inside had their hands out, fueling the shield. The action seemed to exist three of them because they were gulping down breathes, while the Stupid/Brave-Alien remained firm, glaring at her. Elery smiled at him, glad that no one had stolen her victories. He didn't smile back.

"Talo, we should get out of here!" One of the funny-looking aliens whined, proving himself to be a coward that didn't want to fight. They were only saiyans in looks. Except for the one called Talo apparently because he shook his head, maintaining the shield unflinchingly.

"No. We ran from the mission to start with, but you heard them Blink. They're everything that the High Priest said that they were. Can you call yourself a Purifier with pride knowing that you let such evil fester in the galaxy?" Talo asked his comrades, shaming them to fight.

But, something about that didn't make any sense.

"Whaddya mean you ran from your mission? Didn't you want to fight us?" Elery asked while Olaive and her team spread out, preparing another wave of attacks.

"We broke off from the main force. I believed that genocide is unacceptable, an unforgivable evil. I intended to save you along with those children. Only… only for you to fight over who would get to kill and eat us! I cannot allow such a race to exist!" He shouted at her, and despite how seriously he spoke, Elery couldn't help but laugh.

She cracked a smile, "you went from saying genocide is really bad to saying you were going to do it in like two sentences. Brother says that ideals are worthless unless you're willing to stick to them no matter what." Talo flinched like she had hit him, his resolve wavering. But he founded it again a moment later. Good. She didn't want to fight cowards.

Cupping her hands to her sides, Elery formed another Kamehameha, and that was the signal for the fight to begin. The shield dropped for a moment to let Talo to cup his hands together, an action mirroring her own, before a ki blast of pure white launched at her. Elery sent her Kamehameha right back at him, meeting his Fake-Kamehameha halfway.

And a savage grin tugged at her lips when she felt that there was completely no contest between their attacks. The tip of her ki blast punched right through his, racing towards him. All the while the others launched their attacks. A massive explosion rang out when they hit something, but Elery didn't think it was another shield.

Elery heard something behind her and reacted instantly, just in time to see a white blast race by where she had been a second earlier. Flipping around, she formed a Bubble Shield, and in that same moment, another white bolt hit her shield. The source was Talo, who was somehow behind her now and had a weird white ball floating above his shoulder while his hands glowed white.

"We'll compete to beat him up. The rest can handle his team," Olaive said as she flew beside Elery. Elery nodded, accepting that. She would rather share an enemy with her rival than her Arch-Enemies and her rival's team.

"Yeah! Whoever beats him… I'll get my Brother to teach them the Spiral Buster!" And because it was a competition, Brother would have to teach the winner. And since she would be the winner, Elery would finally get to learn the awesomest technique ever. It was a foolproof plan.

"Really?! I'm gonna kick your butt!" Olaive shouted, launching herself at Talo with Elery right behind her. This time Elery formed a Destructo Disk in her palm, launching it at Talo. He thrust his hands out, and some kinda really weird symbol formed between him and her attack. A circle with a couple of skinny ovals that connected in the center to make a roundish triangle. It looked kinda cool, but it was super annoying because the moment her attack hit it, the Destructo Disk vanished.

With growing anger, Elery rushed forward while Olaive flanked to the side. She craned back a fist, intent on punching through the weird symbol, only for that weird ball thing hovering above his shoulder to spit out a white blast that had nearly hit her earlier.

Elery spun out of the way, intent on continuing with her momentum, only for Talo to disappear right when she got close- "Behind you!" Olaive shouted when Talo vanished. Elery reacted, but this time it was too late. Every trace of strength vanished from her limbs when she felt white-hot agony flood her body as Talo grabbed her tail.

"I'll make your death quick, young one," Talos stated and Elery felt anger bubble in her chest. She got her tail grabbed. Again. This wouldn't have happened if she had the Wrath State! Or… or… or if she had listened to what Jerkface said. She… rushed into things again, hadn't she?

Gritting her teeth, Elery flooded what strength remained to her hand and formed a ki blade. Sharpening the edge, Elery twisted around and swung back at the same time. Pain, unlike anything she had ever known flooded through her as the sharp edge of her ki blade sliced into her tail, severing it. Elery welcomed the pain because it came with her strength.

"OUCH!" Elery screamed, slashing at Talo, who looked dumbfounded as he held her tail. He cried out in pain as she slashed him across the chest, blue blood spurting out. "THAT! HURT!" She continued to scream, pouring ki into her hands to blast Talo, only for him to disappear. Again!

"You cut your tail off!" Olaive shouted, aghast as Elery searched around for that… that… that Jerk! He made her cut off her tail! She was going to kill him! "Does it hurt?"

"No!" Elery lied, in the worst pain of her life. Worse, it felt like her tail was still there, but it wasn't. Elery didn't like that. Olaive seemed to sense that she was lying because a bright purple light filled her vision and the pain began to diminish where her stump of a tail was. It was the worst wound she had ever suffered before, and she could feel the Medicine Ball draining her strength to close the bleeding stump.

Before Elery could thank her rival, another light caught her attention. Down below was Talo, cupping his hands together while the weird ball thing that was on his shoulder was now hovering above his hands. Only now it was a bunch of different colors in the rainbow swirled together. The big issue was that he was looking at their teams, who were winning against the three others.

Elery's eyes widened, noticing what he planned to do the same instant that Elery did. As one, they flew down, putting themselves between him and their teams. Elery didn't know how to put it in words, but it was like they could read each other's minds. There was no other way to describe it. Because there was no other explanation on why they had the same exact idea for a new technique.

Throwing out their hands, they formed a wall of ki, much like the weird symbol that had stopped their attacks and protected Talo. Large and thick enough to protect their teams from the attack. At the center, it was layered, making it even stronger.

"Purifying Light!" Talo shouted before his colorful attack launched from his palm. It filled Elery's vision, a massive attack. And, again, she and Olaive had the same idea. Their shield expanded, covering up more room. A second later, the attack slammed into their shield with enough force that Elery felt it in her bones.

Gritting her teeth, a low grow escaped her throat as she poured more ki into the wall, intending to make it utterly unbreakable. She felt the shield get push back against the unrelenting torrent of multicolored ki. Elery pushed back, putting every ounce of strength into pushing back, but it wasn't enough. Inch by inch, the attack pushed her and Olaive back.

Until the shield began to buckle at the fringe. Eating away at their wall until the edges got closer and closer with every second.

"No!" Elery snarled at the attack, willing the shield to hold. Her arms trembled from exertion, her teeth threatened to crack from how hard her jaw was clenched. "NO!" She shouted again as if the attack itself would vanish if she shouted loud enough. But, in the end, that wasn't the case. And teamwork, as much as Brother claimed it could make your attacks stronger, it could also make your defenses weaker.

Olaive's side of the shield crumbled, the rainbow light washing over her until only Elery remained for a brief second. In that second, an emotion that Elery had never felt before gripped her heart.

Fear.

Without the support of Olaive, Elery's shield buckled underneath the attack. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain that would end her life. But...instead... she felt… warm? It felt like she was standing in a pool of warm water or something. Was dying supposed to feel like this?

Then, without any warning, the feeling vanished, which startled Elery enough that she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Talo's dumbfounded face in the distance, staring at them with a slack jaw. Was she not dead? Elery looked to her side to see that Olaive was staring back at her with similar confusion. Elery shrugged her shoulders, completely lost.

"That- how! How are you still alive! The Holy Light destroys evil and wickedness!" Talo shouted at them with disbelief. Oh. Maybe that was why they weren't hurt? Or dead?

"Because I'm not evil! I'm Elery!" Elery shouted at him before she blasted off, rushing to close the distance between them. This time, there was no weird symbol that appeared between him and her fist. Talo barely moved, looking like he didn't even notice her. What he did notice was her fist slamming into the side of his face.

Today was a day of firsts, Elery learned. Elery was used to fighting people stronger than her. Brother, Mom, and the Team. Even those that were weaker than her, Olaive, Kakarot, and her Arch-Enemies, they were at a comparable level of strength.

Talo wasn't.

Elery's eyes went wide as she felt his head break against her fist, warm blood splashing over her face as Talo's body went limp before it began to fall to the ground. She looked down, watching him fall until his body hit the ground with a splat. She was frozen solid for a moment, stuck in the pose that she had punched with, her mind struggling to understand what just happened.

She killed him.

"Oh," Elery muttered, looking down at the body. The first person she had ever killed. Then she turned her attention to those still fighting behind her.

"I guess I'll have to hold back," Elery noted before she blasted off to rejoin the fight. She couldn't wait to tell Brother what happened while he was away.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	42. Homecoming Touch

"Think of a mountain shrinking to become a hill. Then picture that hill becoming a boulder. Then the boulder becomes a rock. That rock becomes a pebble. The pebble is what your power level needs to be," I told Broly, who sat cross-legged in a seat with a platoon's worth of rations wrappers piled up next to him. Broly practically was covered by the lime green ear that was wrapped around his shoulders, as if it were a blanket. It might as well have been because Broly looked like he was about to nod off.

"Broly, this is important," I told him, handing over my scouter. "Watch how I do it," I told him, making Broly jerk awake. I tried to not let myself be frustrated with the lack of progress in the past couple of hours. It wasn't even Broly's fault that I was in… a bad mood. So, I resolved that I wouldn't take it out on him.

Taking in a calming breath, I pictured a mountain that represented my true power level. I began to compress it, making it smaller until that mountain I had pictured became a large hill. Reading the visor backward, I saw that my displayed power level had decreased from nineteen hundred down to eight thousand. Behind the visor, Broly's expression was awed, as if he couldn't possibly believe his eyes. So, at the very least, he understood what numbers were.

I continued, turning that hill into a boulder. This time my power level read as four thousand, cutting it in half again. And now the boulder became a rock, making my power level shrink down to two thousand. Then the pebble where I did some finetuning so my final counter was nineteen hundred.

"You need to be able to do this Broly. The sooner the better," I told him, trying to stress how important it was. I didn't want to be like his father, who used pain to train Broly and once he became unable to truly hurt Broly, Paragus began to use the memory of pain and the shock collar.

What was that saying? The carrot and the stick? I didn't want to use the stick, so what would be the carrot?

"If you do, then when we get to Planet Vegeta, I'll give a big piece of the Sky King," I offered and that earned Broly's undivided attention. Apparently he had only eaten bugs and bug eggs for his entire short life, so it was as if he were making up for lost time by trying everything he could get his hands on.

"The Sky King?" Broly echoed, practically drooling even though he probably didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

"It's a really big monster that's been terrorizing the planet for a while now. It's extremely large and can fire ki attacks out of its mouth like we do out of our hands. A bunch of kids that I'm training are tasked with defeating it, and when they succeed, I was going to have the Sky King cooked. I bet it's going to be really tasty," I trailed off and Broly wasn't just practically drooling anymore. He was up until he wiped his chin with the back of his hand.

"I'll learn it! But… how big of a piece can I have when I have to share it with other kids?" He asked, tilting his head. I gave the question some thought before I gave a small shrug.

"Given the size of up, and dividing it evenly between a hundred-odd kids… your piece should be somewhere around the size of ten of you," I guessed. Broly hopped off his chair before he placed a hand on top of his head. Standing to the side, he started to look up as if he were trying to imagine exactly how big the piece of meat would be. If only the roof of the space shuttle would allow it.

"The Sky King is big," Broly decided, sounding awed and hungry. "Can he really fly? Like we do?"

I started to shake my head before I started to consider it. The Sky King was utterly massive, and it was probably too big to fly back when it nearly ate me. Even with its sizable wingspan, it's body was too thick and heavy to fly in galactic standard gravity, much less ten times the standard on Planet Vegeta. "Maybe? It has wings that it flaps to fly… but it might use ki to help itself fly," I said more to myself than to Broly.

Over the years, I've learned that not all energy attacks were ki. Some aliens produced attacks that were similar, but in the end, their energy was more like electricity. It could be powerful but only channeled in very few ways. Ki was life energy, free and malleable. I had assumed that the breath attack the Sky King had nearly obliterated me with was an energy attack, but if it was using it to help him fly… then that hinted that the Sky King was using ki. Something I thought was unique to saiyans.

"Ohhh…" Broly muttered, trying to picture it for a moment before he shook his head as if to dislodge the image. He took my scouter off his face, blinking a few times before he handed it back to me. "I wanna try again! And do I have to wear one of those? I don't like everything looking red."

"You do," I confirmed with a nod of my head. If anyone saw his eyes then that would defeat the purpose of the trick I was trying to perform. "I have Technician - one of my subordinates - looking into making scouters without the tint to them. For now, though, you'll have to deal with it. Is there a color in particular you would like?"

Though, I didn't really need to ask in the first place. "Green," Broly answered quickly, "like Bah's ear."

"I'll make sure it's the same color. But first, you have to master this," I told Broly and earned a firm nod from him. It was odd - we were around the same age, but I kept finding myself thinking that he was younger than me. I guess it was because Broly didn't receive all the lessons in the tank before he was sent to Vamp. It was just that he acted younger. And looked younger as well with the ear wrapped around his shoulders.

Broly nodded before he closed his eyes. I activated my scouter and waited for it to start ticking down. And, almost instantly, I noticed the difference from earlier attempts and now that he had some motivation. His incredibly high base power level began to shrink downward slowly, starting with only a few points at a time. Then jumps started to be made by hundreds of points.

I waited until his power level hit seventy-two thousand before I said, "stop. Broly, I want you to remember what the mountain looks like now. That's one of the markers you need to remember," I told him. Broly's eyes clenched, his eyebrows drawing together as he made a face of intense concentration before he gave me a small nod.

Once he had it memorized, we continued with the exercise. In the end, he had ten markers, each a multiplier he would hit, until his power level settled on eight thousand. It took some time, but Broly was already getting the hang of keeping it there. And in time, he wouldn't have to think about doing it at all.

"That's the power level you have to maintain, okay? When you fight, increase your power level by one of those markers depending on how strong your opponent is," I told him. This way it would look like his utterly insane power level was a result of the Wrath State. His personality would conflict with it a bit, but that could be passed off as him mastering it. Either way, until I got a lot stronger, it was far too dangerous to teach Broly the Wrath State.

At most, we could risk a times two Wrath State boost, similar to how I would be introducing the Wrath State to the others. For now though, it would be best not to throw too much at Broly at once. Especially not when we were in a space ship surrounded by a vacuum

"Hm!" Broly nodded in agreement, his power level not wavering as he seemed thoroughly pleased with himself. Or, rather, with the reward he would soon be receiving.

"Good work," I returned the nod before I gestured to the door. "We should go find the others. We should be landing on Planet Vegeta soon enough." With Broly in step and his power level still level, for the most part, we walked through the shuttle ship. The walls were a whitish-gray while the floor was a solid white with segmented tiles. A basic design.

Using my ki sense, I picked up on Fasha and Paragus' presences. They were together again, which wasn't so surprising. Paragus didn't seem to like me at all, even after he had calmed down. Beets' presence was on the opposite end of Paragus, something he seemed to stride to do at any given moment.

We approached the door that Fasha and Paragus were behind, and it slid open at our approach. Stepping inside, I saw both of them were sitting down. Which wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary if it wasn't for their too stiff posture.

My eyes narrowed behind my scouter. Did… Fasha have a thing for older guys?

Well, that wasn't any of my business.

"What's the eta to Planet Vegeta?" I asked since Fasha was the one keeping up on it. I focused on training Broly in the meantime.

"We're two jumps out, so about thirty minutes or so," Fasha answered, standing up. "I'll go check to see if the bar is filled up. If it is, then we can go ahead and make another jump." The bar in question was a bar that more or less measured how safe it was to make a jump. Then Fasha not so subtly jerked her head to Paragus.

"He was wanting to talk to you," Fasha informed, making Paragus sputter. I'm guessing that this wasn't his idea. "Let's go get something to eat on the way Broly. They're going to be talking about grown-up stuff," Fasha said, going to leave the room and expecting for Broly to follow. However, he paused, looking at me, then at his father, a look of faint puzzlement on his face.

"But…," he started, looking at Fasha uncertainty, "Tarble isn't a grown-up?" He pointed out before he looked at me, as if double-checking. "He's small, like me."

Luckily, Elery had prepared me for this kind of question.

"We're going to talk about stuff that'll bore you. You're better off going with Fasha and getting something to eat. There are plenty of flavored rations that you haven't tried yet," I said and the expression Broly gave me was almost enough to get a weak smile from me. Broly staggered back, like the knowledge physically hit him, and he couldn't even begin to conceive such a thing.

Though, that didn't let that stop him from finding out because, without another word, Broly blasted off towards the kitchen. I heard Fasha chuckling as she rushed after him, leaving me and Paragus alone. And it was as if Broly had taken what little of a good mood that I had with him. As the doors closed, I turned around and looked at Paragus.

"What?" I asked curtly. I didn't want to be the kind of person that took their bad mood out on others, but I was finding that I held very little patience for Paragus. It wasn't even about his continued grudge against King Vegeta either. It was… his complete lack of willingness to own up to his mistakes.

Paragus' face twisted like he ate something sour as his one eye stared hard right back at me. A few seconds after we began the staring contest, Paragus let out a sigh that seemed to deflate him. "I would like to apologize to you, Prince Tarble," he said, and that caught me off guard. "Regardless of what I feel for your father, you are undeserving of my ire. No… not only that, but you saved me and my son from that place. Thank you."

… I didn't believe that for a second. But the question was why he was suddenly apologizing? Was he hoping to get on my good side before we met with King Vegeta?

After a few seconds, I realized he was waiting for a response. "It's fine," I said, trying to dismiss the issue. The fact that he was angry with me for being King Vegeta's son wasn't why I found myself disliking him. "Just don't let it happen again."

Paragus' nodded in acceptance, "I won't. And if you have the time, I was hoping to ask what role I will have in your army?"

Ah. So that's why he was apologizing.

"Until you learn the Wrath State, you'll be with the general troops. After we'll be picking up the rest of the 501st," I told him. The other eleven thousand or so troops were ones that I had handpicked over the past two years. Lord Frieza gave me permission to choose who I liked, and I think I chose well. The 501st was going to be able to hit a lot harder than it used to. Much, much harder.

"As I understand, you'll be giving command of several thousand low-class saiyans to veteran saiyans," Paragus started, making my eyes narrow. An image of Broly grasping at his throat as he screamed in pain entered my mind. Though, I wasn't sure who I was more annoyed with - Paragus, who thought I would give him command of thousands of children because he asked, or Fasha, for giving him the idea.

"I'm giving command to those that I trust," I corrected frostily. The Team, Lotuce, and possibly Gine. People that I fought beside, or people that the people that I trusted put trust in. Another few words weighed heavily on my tongue. I knew I shouldn't say them. There was no point in antagonizing him. I didn't want to be the person that did stuff like that, but in my foul mood, I couldn't stop myself.

"And given how you treated your son, I won't trust thousands of other children in your care," I spoke, regretting the words even as I said them. Not because I regretted them, but because of how pointless they were. Unsurprisingly, Paragus didn't react well to them and whatever neutral ground that was established with his apology was lost.

His line eye darkened with anger as he scowled at me. "Don't speak of things you know nothing about!" He snapped at me, banging a fist against the table hard enough that he warped the metal. "You weren't there! In no time at all, Broly was stronger than me and he was completely out of control! I couldn't even move fast enough to grab his tail anymore. I didn't have a choice!"

"Maybe," I admitted, undercutting his anger with agreement. "I can't imagine that you were stronger than Broly for long. Or anything on that planet was. That shock collar was probably the only chance you had if he turned into an oozaru," I agreed with him as my lips pressed together into a thin frown. "But that's not what I was talking about. You tried to turn Broly into your personal attack dog to claim vengeance that you were too weak to claim yourself. You were utterly irrational, driven completely by your feelings to the point you couldn't even think straight."

My eyes narrowed into slits, "that's why I won't trust you with thousands of low-class lives." I told him flatly, leaving no room for negotiation. With nothing left to say, I turned around and left Paragus alone to stew in his resentment. You'd think after six years, he'd be tired of it by now. Before I walked away, I heard a shout and a thump through the doors of Paragus venting his frustrations.

If he couldn't handle rejection without acting out, how was he going to handle the Wrath State? Honestly, at this point, I didn't have high hopes for Paragus. If it wasn't for Broly, I'd be looking for a way to send him away to make him someone else's problem.

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I walked through the halls until I found a temporary room I was using. It didn't have a healing pod, so I couldn't sleep, but it had a desk and a raised chair so I could finish off whatever work Technician had given me. Sitting down, I turned the module on and a hologram of a basic transponder appeared before me. It broke into a hundred different pieces, all neatly organized before a counter started ticking down.

My hands didn't move. The task wasn't enough to drag my thoughts away from an issue that tormented me since I learned of it.

King Vegeta tried to kill my team. He tried to kill me. With a bomb. He lied to my face about letting Bardock be the face of the Saiyan race. What else had he lied about?

I ignored the harsh buzzing sound as the timer hit zero before the puzzle reset itself. Leaning my head back, I stared up at the ceiling, still trying to sort out my thoughts.

"He did when I was low-class six years ago," I muttered. A lot had changed in six years. Not only was I elite-class, but I created the Wrath State. Mom… back when I had first met her had completely written me off, no different than how King Vegeta did. Was it a double standard? Was I being harsher on King Vegeta because he didn't immediately start showering me with affection?

King Vegeta had welcomed me into an ancient plot to overthrow the Cold family. Something… I had a whole slew of complicated feelings about, much less my misgivings that such a thing was possible. King Vegeta trusted me. Maybe his feelings had changed?

But he also lied to me. Thinking about it rationally, it wasn't likely that the bomb was meant for me. If King Vegeta wanted me dead, then he all he had to do was kill me as soon as I left the tank. No one would have known and no one would have cared. That meant that the bomb was meant for my team.

The buzzer rang for the fifteenth time and I wondered if that sound would have been the last thing my team heard before we all died.

There was bad blood between my team and the royal family. I've known it for years. Ever since Bardock murdered Nappa under the guise of a training accident. When Vegeta started to antagonize my team and they antagonized him right back. I thought it was a case of Vegeta being attached to Nappa and wanting vengeance, but if King Vegeta was trying to kill my team years before that…

"With a bomb of all things," I muttered, ignoring the beeping again as the puzzle reset. Such an underhanded attempt of assassination. If King Vegeta wanted my team dead so badly that he was willing to kill me as collateral, then why didn't he just do it himself? Wait for us to launch then hit us with a ki attack? None of us would have been able to stop him.

I thought about it again, but I came to the same exact conclusion that I came to last time.

"I won't know until I ask him," I continued, speaking over another beep. And only then could I decide how I felt once I heard his answer.

What I did know was this - my team was keeping secrets from me. And given who those secrets are connected to, I could only assume that I was being left in the dark because I was a member of the royal family.

A sigh escaped me as I looked away from the ceiling. My gaze landed on the attempts counter and my heart sank to see that I had twenty-eight attempts already. I tsked to myself, pinching the bridge of my nose, "Technician is going to be disappointed." And I was disappointed in myself. Nearly thirty minutes had passed and I did nothing but think.

I had put a lot of effort into breaking those bad habits-

"Tarble! Planet Vegeta is being attacked!" Fasha shouted through my scouter. Whatever malaise clouded my thoughts were cleared in a second. Had the Reach- "We're being attacked by the Frieza-force!"

For a single moment, my heart went still in my chest. Had Lord Frieza somehow found out? About the plan or Broly?

"Is Lord Frieza's flagship here?" I asked, ripping through the door because it didn't open fast enough before I made my way down to the docking area. My hands were clenched to fists - if I had to fight Lord Frieza… then the Saiyan race was doomed. The few remaining saiyans were in two places; on Planet Vegeta and with the 501st.

If Lord Frieza wanted to wipe us out, then this was his best chance for a quick and easy genocide.

"No, it's not. The scouters aren't picking up on his power level, either. He's not here," Fasha said, quickly putting that fear to rest. "The thing says that the 31st fleet is the one attacking us. Does that mean anything to you?"

I thought about it as I quickly secured my mask to my face along with an oxygen tank attached to the small of my back. "No, I have no clue who they are," I answered. If they were a fleet that was stationed nearby to Mom's fleet then I would recognize them, if only because they would have factored into my plans to take Antiople. "Abandon the ship and suit up. I'm heading out now," I ordered, slamming a fist on the button to ventilate the docking area.

"On my way. What about Broly, Paragus, and Beets?" Fasha asked as I felt the familiar void of space when I flew out of the docking bay. From being on the other end, I recognized the offensive positioning of the hundreds of ships positioned in the atmosphere. There were two masses that contained the bulk of the fleet as they bombarded Planet Vegeta. Countless blasts of plasma, lasers, and explosives rained down on the surface.

Which was good. You bombarded population centers before you sent in the army to mop up. If they were still attacking from orbit then that meant the Saiyan race wasn't in danger of going extinct.

I nearly told Fasha to take care of them both before I caught myself. A memory flashed of my first mission - when I had been a Saiyan in body only. Broly… reminded me of myself back then. If only because he didn't act like a normal Saiyan. If he had the same reaction I did on the battlefield then he could get himself killed. Simply because if someone was willing to attack us then it was because they were certain they could at the very least handle King Vegeta.

"Send Broly to me. You head down with Paragus and Beets to find Mom. Find out what the ground situation looks like," I ordered, blasting odd towards the ships as ki gathered in my hands. I was so angry with the situation I barely noticed as the familiar pain of the Wrath State filled me. "I don't think we've ever had to fight a defensive battle before," I realized before I fell upon the fleet's position.

Ki blasts raced from my hands, tearing through their positioning just as the blasts of ki tore through the ships. I carved a deep line through their formation, leaving devastation in my wake. Before they could respond by scattering, as the pilots were trained to do, I continued quickly laying waste to the fleet. One good thing about getting attacked by the Frieza-force was I knew exactly how they would respond.

And because I knew exactly how they would react, I easily predicted their movements. The ships scattered, breaking up into groups, but I destroyed them with the same ease as I did as they were in a giant clump. Lights from explosions surrounded me completely, and once they faded, scrap metal and corpses floated in the vacuum of space, most clutching their throats as they died of suffocation.

I didn't recognize the species, but I noticed that all of the corpses were of the same species. The skin tone varied from light blue to black, and the hair was various shades of that same spectrum, but other than that, they looked like saiyans. What stood out the most was the addition to their uniforms. A circle with three narrow ovals that were drawn with the same line, connecting in the center of the circle to form a roundish triangle.

"This isn't an ordinary slave race," I noted before I turned my attention down to the ships fleeing towards Planet Vegeta. Not all slave races were created equal. For a unified force with a unified race - this race, whatever they were, stood at a similar rank of slavery as the Saiyan race did. Or higher.

But that was a good thing as well. It made them easier to track down.

My gaze darted to the other thick formation to see pics of light in the distance. It was difficult to tell from so far away, but it looked like someone was already dealing with that half. Likely King Vegeta. Which freed me up to hunt down the fleeing ships.

"Broly," I said, expanding my awareness to find Broly's presence. It was much more difficult now that he was hiding his power level, but given the diminished numbers around me, I found him easily enough. Broly wore a mask, the fur ear still wrapped around his shoulders, and he floated in front of a body. A corpse of an alien.

Seeing death was odd, I thought. Before I got used to it, it was harder to see a corpse that looked like me. Now… Saiyan or alien, a corpse was a corpse. And I saw plenty of them by now.

"Follow me. Stick close to me," I ordered, starting Broly out of his thoughts. He looked at me with wide Eve's before he gave a hesitant nod. A second later, both of us blasted down to the surface of the planet. We punched through the clouds, easily spotting the ships that flew through the air simply because they were the few things in-

My thoughts were interrupted as a loud roar shook the planet, or at the very least it felt like it did. Vibrations traveled through the air, washing over me like the aftershock of an explosion. I heard Broly gasp behind me as we came to a sudden stop. First, I looked at him before I realized he was looking at something far off in the distance. I looked over just in time to see an utterly massive black mass rush upwards out of a canyon, an explosion flashing where the black mass caught a ship in its teeth before buying down.

Once it reached a certain height, it unfurled it's massive wings and flapped them once. The rest of the squad of ships tried to turn away, but most of them slammed into the creature's black armor-like scales that covered its underbelly.

"That's the Sky King," I told Broly, eyeing the creature. It was much bigger than the time it nearly ate me. Before, ten of me could have fit comfortably in its mouth. Now it's massive maw could fit closer to a hundred. I noticed a scar on its flank when it turned to lash out at the few that had managed to fly out of the way in time, a scar that Vegeta had given it, so it was the same creature. It was almost hard to believe just looking at it.

"Whoa!" Broly cheered and I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "It's like Bah! Except for its black and it can fly!" Broly pointed out, making me glance at him.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, only for Broly to point at the Sky King.

"He plays like Bah!" Broly answered and out if the corner of my eye, I saw a bright flash of light. Reacting instantly, I placed myself in front of Broly and reached out with a single hand. I felt the power of the attack for a split second before it slammed into the palm of my hand. The ki blast was utterly massive, similar to the kind of ki breath attack an oozaru, so the moment it slammed into my palm with incredible force, for a few seconds the only thing I could see was white.

But it's size worked against it. If it had compressed the attack into a much narrower stream, then it might have taken me both hands to deflect the ki blast.

"Whoa…!" Broly breathed behind me as the attack faded away. In the distance, the Sky King flapped its wings, steam emitting from its mouth as it glared hatefully at me. I… think I was spot on about its sentience. Six years later and it looked like I was still at the top of its shit list. "Is he your friend? Like Bah? I don't want to eat your friend!" Broly shouted, sounding genuinely distraught by the idea.

I didn't look away from the Sky King, and it didn't look away from me. Not even as ships began to circle it, firing at its thick scaling. Its eyes narrowed as I lowered my hand, but made no move to counter. Its nostrils flared out in irritation as it realized it was no match for me.

And, with that, it turned it's attention to far weaker prey.

I glanced at the scuff marks on my palm for a moment. "There's no way that they're going to be able to beat that," I muttered to myself. At the very least I realized I gave them an impossible task before I threw the hundred future leaders of my army at it. Though… no, it wasn't worth the risk of making them fight it anyway. This invasion was a perfect opportunity to teach them the lesson I wanted them to learn.

Pressing down on my scouter as I took off towards the capital, and where Vegeta was, I spoke, "Gine, I'm back on the planet. What's the situation?" I asked, and for a moment, there was no answer. Right when my mind jumped to the worst, Gine spoke on the other end.

"The situation is under control. There was a rogue squad that landed near the children, but none of them have died. Your sister is the most injured - it seems that she was forced to cut off her tail when the rogue squad attempted to flee. Her and Olaive's teams chased them down while I dealt with one left behind so the rest could get away," Gine quickly explained. My heart squeezed in my chest when I heard that Elery was hurt, but better hurt than dead. Her tail would regrow.

"Are they fit to fight?" I asked, "what about the other children? Are they safe?"

"Matillo and Queen Teach have protected the children while King and Prince Vegeta have been dealing with the invaders. But, the children… they had a competition on who would get to fight the squad that landed near us," Gine explained.

I thought about that for a second. "Tell the kids that the very last thing that they should be doing when our planet is being invaded is to be fighting against each other," I told Gine.

"I'm-"

"You're fine," I quickly reassured her. "Keeping them out of the fight was the right choice. But telling them that isn't what they need to learn." I spotted a massive explosion not too far away that could have only come from Vegeta. "Once the bulk of the army is dealt with, I'll stop by and we can organize them into a fighting force." With that, I ended the communication, blasting forward.

I glanced behind me to see that Broly was still right behind me. Good. I didn't want to accidentally leave him behind.

As we neared the capital, Castle Vegeta dominating the skyline, I saw that the capital had taken serious damage. The castle was still standing, but a lucky explosion had taken out the center part of the bridge, so a fair bit of the castle gave way. The capital itself was more of a ruin than it normally was with thick pillars of smoke drifting upwards as what wasn't craters burned uncontrollably.

I wonder if the enemy knew that we didn't care about our cities? At the very least not enough to bother building them back up after we had destroyed them taking them from the Truffles.

A massive blast of multicolored light caught my attention as it washed over a portion of the city. Only instead of leaving absolute devastation in its wake, the buildings remained standing. Well, they were on fire and mostly destroyed, but that attack didn't look like it did anything to them. My gaze zeroed in on the source, my scouter activating to measure his power level.

250.

The source in question was another alien of the same species as the others. His skin was a dark gray, his hair a close cut of pure white. He dropped to a knee, visibly exhausted but above his shoulder were three balls of multicolored light. What's more, with his hands outstretched, he maintained a pure white barrier that matched the emblem that I saw earlier.

I slowed to a stop, Broly stopping right behind me a tad too close before I looked at his opponent. Vegeta was in the Wrath State, but something was wrong. His armor was scuffed and I saw that he was bleeding from several cuts, the worst one was above his eye. Did the odd aliens have some kind of special attack that let them hit way above their weight class? I didn't know what else could explain the fact that my brother was injured at all.

Vegeta noticed my arrival first. "Don't interfere in my fight Tarble," he warned, bringing the other alien's attention to me. There was grim determination etched into his face and he forced himself to stand. Surrounding them, and us, were thousands of power levels. What was left of the army that was sent here.

"I wasn't going to," I told him. Injured or not, I knew Vegeta was still going to win. He didn't need my help. "But could you explain what's going on here?"

"These pieces of trash invaded for some reason. Something about our race being evil, or something. I wasn't paying attention. Then the leader of the trash realized that I was massacring his troops and challenged me to a one on one fight," Vegeta explained, smirking down at the alien, who glared up at the two of us. However, Vegeta's smirk fell after a moment. "He's using some kind of weird energy."

"It's the power of righteousness!" The alien spat both of us. "The Stardust attacks destroy the wickedness in others. The fact you are injured at all Prince Vegeta betrays your true nature! Your malevolence will be your downfall!" The alien swore, digging deep to find the strength to at least bluster. Then he turned his attention to me.

"And you, Prince Tarble, will be the next to fall," he swore, his dark blue eyes glowing with intensity.

I shared a look with Vegeta, "Well… he doesn't lack confidence," I remarked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the alien bristle, but he didn't attack in his anger. I guess if I was going to provoke him, I would have to try harder. Still, what he said was worrying.

His weak power level aside, he was able to injure Vegeta. That alone made him a threat that I had to take seriously.

But first, I needed more information. "Whose idea was it for you to attack us?" I asked directly, ignoring an annoyed look from Vegeta for stalling his fight.

"I refuse to give you that information," the alien stated unflinchingly. My gaze lingered on the glowing symbol before him, assuming that it worked as some kind of shield. Given how he spoke, I could guess his motivations easily enough. And… no. This wasn't the time for old thoughts.

"Fine. Then at least tell me why you're attacking us in the first place," I said, watching the alien's eyes flick over to Broly. Who gave him a small wave and a hesitant smile.

"Because you are yet another barbarous race of Mongul's ilk!" The alien spat at me with no small amount of venom. "We avoided being conquered by that tyrant, our planet stolen, only to be enslaved by King Cold. For nearly a thousand years, my race has perfected our magic to fight monsters that wish for nothing but blood and death. Races like you saiyans! Once you are gone from this world, we will turn our attention to petty tyrants like Frieza and Mongul then Darkseid himself!"

I blinked at that and heard Vegeta let out a small laugh. "You're right Tarble. He doesn't lack confidence." A savage smile began to tug at Vegeta's lips as he decided that the time for talk was drawing to a close as he prepared a ki attack above his palm. "But, whatever your name is, I don't think you've thought this through. You've just admitted to treason. You've attacked my planet. Do you really think I would let that go answered?"

Vegeta's smile grew until it was sharp enough to cut. "You came here to wipe out the saiyan race? Don't make me laugh. After I'm done wiping you out down to the last man, I'm going to find what's left of your pathetic species. They're going to die. All of them. Down to the last man, woman, and child. And as they die screaming, I will tell them that you are to blame."

My gaze lingered on Vegeta and Broly strategically placed me between them. The alien didn't respond. His gaze settled into a grim expression as the symbol before him grew brighter, the three balls above his shoulders began to display every color in the rainbow. He wore the expression of someone that realized that the stakes were too high for them to fail.

His words from earlier echoed in my head as I stood back to watch the fight, deciding to trust Matillo and Mom to take care of the children.

A thought that had lingered for years now came back, tugging at my attention.

A soft sigh escaped me, my shoulders slumping in acceptance of a conclusion I had came to years ago finally settled into place.

I… couldn't help but wonder what that attack - the Stardust whatever… it destroyed evil…

I couldn't help but wonder what it would do to me.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	43. Touch of Preparation

It was the alien that moved first. The symbol before him flashed a blinding white for a moment, forcing me to narrow my eyes. In that same moment, the three multicolored balls that floated above the alien shot forward, racing towards Vegeta. Vegeta dodged them with ease, turning around to face the alien as he suddenly teleported behind him, moving through some kind of rift in space.

I expected Vegeta to launch an attack to vaporize the alien. Instead, Vegeta backed off, deftly dodging as the rainbow-colored balls raced forward towards him, trying to hit him. They moved increasingly fast, but it was easy enough to track them with my eyes. The only real risk that they posed was the fact that the alien couldn't just teleport himself. The balls vanished into small rifts before reappearing elsewhere, just as the alien himself continued to teleport near Vegeta.

My jaw clenched as I realized that Vegeta was on the defensive. He wasn't losing - he dodged every attack with ease, but he was purely on the defensive. Worse, judging by that deep scowl entrenched onto my brother's face, it wasn't because he wanted to be. Vegeta wasn't losing, but he wasn't winning either.

"Why doesn't he hit back?" Broly asked as we watched the fight. He looked down as well, taking note of the thousands of soldiers beneath us that had their weapons trained on us. They didn't shoot. Either because they were trusting their fate to the leader alien, or they realized that whatever deal he made with Vegeta would be off if they attacked us.

"I don't know," I answered, watching the fight. This was my second time seeing magic being used. The first was back during the invasion of Sereall where Lord Frieza had enslaved an entire race of magic users to open up a portal to Sereall large enough a massive fleet could pass through it, bypassing the Reach's countermeasures.

Now, I was looking at magic in a more one on one combat scenario and it didn't fail to impress. Teleportation in combat was versatile, those multicolored orbs were a useful distraction at the very least and the symbol was enough that Vegeta didn't simply end the fight by punching through it then the alien. There was obviously a piece I was missing because as impressive as it was, that shouldn't be enough to keep Vegeta on the defensive. Even if it somehow destroyed evil, I figured Vegeta would simply overpower it.

There was definitely a piece I was missing, but I got a hint of what it was when the balls suddenly split apart, three becoming six smaller orbs before they began to fire thin beams of rainbow light. "What's the matter, Prince Vegeta! Where did all that bluster go?" The alien shouted as he ramped up the intensity of his attacks. "I'm not even the strongest of my kind. You wiping out my race? As if I'd let you!"

I crossed my arms as I watched Vegeta flip and dodge out of the way, glaring at the alien and the large white symbol that he maintained. Ki gathered in his hands as he twisted in the air before he found his opening. Vegeta darted forward, moving in a blur and the balls of light were left behind. Vegeta came to a stop in front of the alien's symbol, close enough that he could touch it.

The alien's eyes widened before he unleashed a roar matching Vegeta's, his symbol glowing brighter before ki washed over the alien, the blast slamming through ancient buildings behind him as Vegeta forever altered what was left of the skyline for the once Truffle city.

"Whoa!" Broly gasped, grabbing me by the shoulder before he pointed at the blast that Vegeta had unleashed. "Did you see that?!" He questioned loudly as he shook me to get my attention.

"I did," I answered grimly, my eyes focused on Vegeta as the blast tapered off. He looked like he was braced-

My eyes widened as I saw Vegeta lurch back as if he were hit by some unseen force. Wounds opened up across his body and blood flying free as Vegeta winced in pain. The wounds were superficial, but the fact that they were there was worrying. Vegeta tsked underneath his breath when the dust cleared and the alien was still there. Undamaged.

The symbol before him flickered, the alien heaving for breath as sweat dripped from him in a river before red blood dripped from his nose. He was exhausted, but alive.

"Heh. That shield of yours is getting weaker. That wasn't even close to being as powerful as the last attack you sent back at me," he mocked. I peeked up at that, looking at the symbol with interest.

It was reflecting the damage? No, it had to be doing more than that. That ki attack that Vegeta used wasn't anywhere near as strong to do the amount of damage that had been done to him. It amplified the reflected damage as well. By how much, I couldn't say, but all of a sudden Vegeta's hesitance made a great deal more sense.

Instead of risking hitting him with a single massive attack and hoping that he overcame the alien's barriers, he chose to accept some light damage to whittle down the alien. It was a surprisingly cautious thing for him to do. And I was glad for it.

"I… still have enough in the tank to deal with the likes of you," the alien rasped out, his chest heaving as he greedily took in air.

Vegeta scoffed, "More empty bluster." He mocked, blood dripping down his face before his gaze flicked to me. "These soldiers are mine. If you want to kill any, then go find one of the other armies that they dropped."

"I wasn't going to," I said with a shake of my head. "I'm just waiting for you to finish up so we can coordinate a defense. I think it would be a good time for the recruits to get used to fighting in actual life and death situations before we bring them to the Reach."

Vegeta scowled, "They are saiyans. They shouldn't need to be bloodied before they go off to war."

"I'm not talking about that. I mean decision making. Elery organized a free-for-all team tournament over who got to fight a squad," Vegeta looked at me with an exasperated expression. Which was fair enough. "I figured this would be a good opportunity for them to learn what their priorities should be in an active invasion."

"Hm. Fair point. Very well, we'll coordinate purging our planet of this filth with the recruits-" then he shot a sharp look at me, "but I will be the one that avenges this slight on the Sayian race!" Meaning he would follow through with his threat. Which could be a problem.

"We should send a message to Lord Frieza before we do anything. They attacked us first, so I don't think he would mind, but I'd rather not-" I started, only to cut myself off as Vegeta was forced to dodge an attack. I narrowed my eyes into a glare at the alien, who wore an expression of utter fury.

"Don't," he spat, letting the symbol drop and fade into nothing. Instead, his hands began to glow white. Instead of ki forming in the palm of his hands, it was another symbol. Three rhombi touching in the middle, making a triangle with nonexistent lines, and the point that they touched glowed that same multicolored light. "Act like you've already won Saiyans."

Vegeta smirked at the alien, "Oh? Is there a reason why I shouldn't, Trash?" He asked, forming his own ki attack to meet the alien head-on. It seemed that reflection ability only applied to that symbol that they wore. I felt the battle drawing to an end, and I was glad for it. The sooner I could regroup with the others, the better.

"Because… I've noticed vile beings like you… always spend your time looking down on everyone else," the alien rasped out, bracing himself as he calmed his breathing. His hands glowed, hints of color entering the white light that surrounded his hands. "But never do you look up."

Slowly, I started to look up just in time to see something begin to descend through the clouds. An enormous ball of light fell from the sky, easily the same size orb that I used when destroying a city. Carried by the heavy gravity, it quickly made its descent, but it was slow enough that the alien took the time to gloat. "With the two of you out of the way, the King and Queen will pose no challenge-"

I stopped listening. The only thing more pointless than banter was gloating. Grabbing Broly, I rushed over to Vegeta, who seemed torn between glaring at the descending ball and the alien. Just as the ball would reach us, I held out my hands and formed a bubble of ki around us to protect us from the blast.

For the briefest moments, as the ball fell upon the city, I thought about dropping the shield. I didn't, nor would I, but there was a nagging sense of curiosity urging me to do it. Just to see what would happen. To see if I would be considered evil or not.

I've killed… I don't even know how many people. Tens of millions. Maybe a hundred million by now. Such… a ridiculous number. To think I had once puked and panicked over killing one alien only six years ago. And, in the end, killing them was just a part of the job. I was a soldier, and my job was to kill. Because I was powerful, I killed more than most to make sure that my soldiers didn't throw their lives away.

I didn't enjoy it. I didn't particularly hate it either.

But did that make me evil like the alien accused? Justifications or not, up to a hundred million lives were snuffed out by my hands. More counting the actions I had set into motion. Simply because they fought on the wrong side. Was it worse to kill with malice or to kill for such an empty reason?

I've long since abandoned the notion that I was a good person, but I've never considered myself evil before. Now I was curious if some higher power or magic would tell me the answer.

But now wasn't the time to entertain such thoughts.

"Sorry about getting involved, but I wanted to introduce you to Broly," I said, turning to Vegeta as I maintained the shield. Who was scowling but he didn't seem particularly displeased as he turned to Broly, who gave him a hesitant smile.

"Hi? You're kind of hurt… do you want to pet Bah's ear to help with the pain?" Broly offered the ear before a nervous expression passed over his face, "but you can only pet his ear. And only a little bit," he added a few restrictions, echoing himself when Beets had broken down crying.

Vegeta looked at him for a moment, then at me, a demand for an explanation in his blazing yellow eyes. I answered with, "Broly, stop suppressing your power level."

Broly looked confused for a moment before he nodded, obeying the order. Vegeta looked like he had been struck when the realization settled in.

Both of us had been dethroned as the strongest saiyan several times over.

"You- how?!" Vegeta spluttered, completely caught off guard while Broly shifted, fidgeting underneath the attention he was getting. "How could you possibly-" He started to shout, making Broly flinch, and that made him cut himself off. Not out of fear of reprisal but confusion that Broly would flinch at all.

"I trained with Bah a lot?" He tried before a look of unparalleled sadness passed over his face. "Before Dad shot off his ear… after that, he didn't want to play with me anymore…"

Vegeta looked like he had absolutely no idea how to respond to that.

"Broly gets stronger over time, naturally. At least that's the out explanation I found that makes any sense. The wildlife on Vampa wasn't anywhere close to being strong enough to push Broly to this level," I explained, maintaining the bubble shield was relatively easy as we waited for everything to stop exploding on the other side.

"Hm! The spiders used to be really tough, but I've been able to scare them away for a long time now," Broly seconded, looking extremely proud of himself. "Not even Dad can do that. He always shouts for me to come when the spiders come to save him and Beets." And given the situation that they had been in, I probably shouldn't judge Paragus too harshly for that, but Vegeta didn't know the context and I doubt he would care regardless.

"Paragus made you fight for him?" Vegeta questioned, his tone dripping with disgust. Broly looked hesitant to answer, and he was saved from having to when the blinding white light that surrounded us began to fade. I expected to see the city destroyed, a massive crater in the ground. Instead, it looked more or less the same as it did before.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The ground and buildings could hardly be classified as evil.

Letting the bubble shield drop, I moved out of the way as Vegeta floated forward towards the alien. Despair was etched into his face as he realized that his trump card did nothing.

"You look defeated already," Vegeta commented and I could hear the smile in his voice. "What were the terms of our deal? That I would fight you in a one on one match and leave your troops out of it?" He asked and I knew exactly where this was going. It was too easy to see. The alien realized what Vegeta intended, shouting as he desperately lunged towards Vegeta but it was too late.

A ki blast launched from the palm of his hand and it flashed down towards the troops that resided below us. I felt hundreds of presences vanish in the explosion that came next that claimed several buildings as a crater replaced a city block. Before the first had even finished, Vegeta fired off several other - massacring the army that was below and reducing the saiyan capital to rubble with a handful of blasts.

And I think I had my answer, I realized as I heard the alien howl with grief. Because I was more annoyed at the theatrics than I was horrified at the callous act of making the alien watch as his troops were killed in front of him. The troops had to die - that much was certain. We couldn't let something like this stand, otherwise, it would become a common occurrence. Even still, was it really to make the alien watch as Vegeta killed him? Wouldn't it be more efficient to kill the alien now before it tried something?

As if to prove my point, the alien lunged at Vegeta, the sleeves of his undersuit were suddenly blasted off by a white aura before symbols were carving themselves into his arms. All the while, he screamed his hate for the world to hear, "VEGGGEETTAAAA!" The alien screamed, flying towards my brother. My time with the saibamen taught me what a suicide attack looked like.

Vegeta knew as well. With the symbol down, Vegeta wasted no time taking aim and firing a ki blast at the crazed alien. When the ki blast hit him, a large explosion rang out, confirming what the alien had intended to do. When the dust cleared, there wasn't even a trace of the body left and I felt his presence vanish.

"Hm. I feel kinda bad about that one," I commented, making Vegeta look back at me with a questioning look. "He was taking this so seriously and really was giving it all that he had, but…" But Vegeta was toying with him pretty much the entire time. "Did you get his name?"

"Why bother?" Vegeta shot back, shaking his head. Then he turned his gaze to Broly, "What is with that sniveling expression of yours?" He demanded, making me glance at Broly to see that he was looking at Vegeta with an expression of horror and disgust. He gripped Bah's ear as he looked around himself, at the death and destruction.

"Why… would you do that?" Broly asked, sounding upset.

Before Vegeta could say anything, I answered for Vegeta. "It's like how your dad called for you to kill the spiders. These people are the spiders. They came here to hurt our race, to kill every saiyan that they could. Vegeta destroyed them before they could hurt anyone," I said, trying to phrase it in a way that he would understand.

Broly hesitated, gripping the ear that much tighter. "But he sounded so sad…" He trailed off and my lips thinned.

"Yeah. He did," I agreed and left it at that. I turned to Vegeta, who stared at Broly with an uncomprehending expression, and said, "We should regroup with the others. Do you know where they are?"

Vegeta turned to me before he nodded, "Yeah. Follow me," he said before he blasted off. I grabbed Broly before I took off after him, leaving the battlefield behind us.

* * *

"Brother!" Elery greeted me as I entered a bunker that had once belonged to the Truffles, built towards the end of the war as a safe haven to protect what was left of their race. It was a sprawling underground labyrinth, easily large enough to supply three million saiyan children, even if it looked like it hadn't been touched since the battle to purge the last traces of the Truffles.

Elery was fine judging by the large smile on her face. She had more than a few injuries scatter across her body, but the most glaring was the lack of her tail.

"You seriously got your tail cut off," I remarked, trying to keep myself calm about the observation as Elery scowled at me.

"No! I cut my tail off," Elery corrected as if that was any better. "Some funny looking alien grabbed it so I had to cut it off to escape," she explained unhappily, her hand going back to the stump that she had left.

"That's why I kept telling you to wear the newer armor to protect your tail," I pointed out, earning a scowl from Elery. "But your tail will grow back. Other than that, how are you?" I asked, my eyes drifting over the dried blood on her knuckles.

"I…" Elery hesitated for a moment, and that told me all that I needed to know. Elery never hesitated. She looked away from me sharply, suddenly finding the ground very interesting. "I… I almost got beaten," she admitted, making me close my eyes for a brief moment. Because I knew when she said beaten, she meant killed. "I put up a shield but I wasn't strong enough to beat that stupid colorful attack! It didn't do anything to me, but…!"

But it could have. Elery was young, extremely young, but she understood that much.

I nodded, turning my attention to the others that were gathered. There were the hundred that I was training, along with countless other kids. Vegeta was off talking to some of them, so I'm guessing that they were his troops. Mom and Matillo were also here, while Gine was hunting down other children that had taken it upon themselves to explore the bunker.

"You survived, and right now that's enough. Use that defeat as motivation to grow stronger," I told Elery, who scowled at the ground for a moment. I knew she wouldn't like to hear that simply because she never liked to hear it after she lost. To soothe her pride, I reached out and rubbed the top of her head. "You did well, Elery and I'm proud of you," I told her.

That did the trick, her scowl easing away to a small smile. "And, while you're here, I want to introduce you to Broly," I said, stepping to the side and gesturing to Broly, who had been following me around everywhere I went since he couldn't find Beets or Paragus. Broly looked at Elery for a moment, shuffling his feet.

Elery blinked once, her attention quickly falling to Bah's ear with interest. "Who are you? I want one of those-" Elery started, making Broly hold the ear closer to himself. Elery frowned, but she seemed to sense that Broly was rather skittish at the moment. He hadn't so much as said a word since we got here.

"Broly is going to be attached to your squad," I told Elery. It was more than a little selfish but my main motivation was that Broly would be able to protect Elery if she ever bit off more than she could chew. Just like she had during the fight that cost Elery her tail. And I hadn't been here to keep an eye on her to make sure that she survived.

Whether I liked it or not, Elery was a warrior and she was going to find herself in a similar situation. Just like I had for years. I wouldn't be able to hover over her shoulder to make sure that she was alright all the time. So, Broly would be the safety net for her and her team until they were strong enough to not need one.

"Okay?" Elery agreed easily enough, looking faintly puzzled by the sudden introduction. Then she offered Broly a wide smile, "How strong are you? Bet you're not stronger than me!"

Broly looked caught off guard by the sudden friendliness, but he offered a far more hesitant smile before he told her that she was very wrong with that declaration. As much as I might have enjoyed the moment, my attention was stolen when I saw Matillo was waking up towards me. His eyes lingered on Broly for a moment, who was having to prove that his 'base' power level really was eight hundred before he nodded at me.

"My Prince. You've made a timely arrival," he greeted me.

"So it seems, but from the look of it, you had everything handled. Were there any losses?" I asked, stretching out my ki sensing abilities, but it was impossible to tell just how many people were down here beyond the ballpark of a lot.

"A few hundred at most from those that chose to take on the invading armies themselves. Their techniques seem to be ineffective on the children but their weapons are," Matilo answered. It wasn't the answer that I wanted to hear, but it was the one that I expected. "We've also located the remaining few armies. Queen Teach and Prince Vegeta have made quick work of most of the invading force. With King Vegeta crippling the fleet, they're stuck here without hope of escape."

"Perfect. It seems that the Sky King is too strong for them. For now. We'll use those remaining armies instead," I decided, earning a nod from Matillo.

"A wise choice. It'll get them used to fighting in war rather than battle," Matillo agreed.

I glanced over at my troops - the hundred leaders with their future troops behind them as they wandered around, eager to go out and fight. Most were learning my techniques, while a few enterprising troops from other units took the time to learn them as well. In time they would spread and the current generation would have a solid base of techniques to work with.

My gaze landed on Broly and Elery - the former panicking as the latter was either trying to choke him out or give him a hug around his neck. Any worry that Broly would freak out was crushed at the laughter in his eyes, enjoying the byplay. I hadn't considered it until now, but he must have been lonely on Vampa.

"Yeah, it will. Are your troops ready to head out?" I asked, turning back to Matillo.

However, before he could answer, I felt Mom's presence rush over towards me. I glanced over to see that she looked annoyed but resigned. "Tarble put this on. Your father is on his way and he wants us to be all dramatic," she informed me before she threw a short red cape at me. I caught it, realizing that she was wearing a similar cape that flowed down to the floor.

He was on his way.

"...Sure," I agreed, accepting the cape and shrugging it on. It had some weight to it, more so than its appearance suggested. With the magnetized clips, I put it on and saw Mom nod approvingly. She cracked a smirk at me before she reached down and ruffled my hair, much like I had done to Elery.

"Looks good on you Tarble," she said. And as she said the words, a nagging voice in the back of my mind wondered if she had known about the bomb. I didn't think that she did. Mom hadn't cared about me at all until she had Elery, but she wasn't the type of warrior that could accept using mundane weaponry. If she wanted me and my team dead, then she would have killed us with her own hands. "Now let's go look important for a bit before we go take out the trash," Mom continued.

There was a platform by the vault door that overlooked an open space. A killbox for the Truffles to use and it obviously hadn't worked. What it did do was offer a decent view of a crowd of saiyans, a mere fraction of the millions that wandered the halls in search of fights and food. Mom stood next to me, with Vegeta standing on her other side. My eyes found Elery, who looked absolutely pissed that she hadn't gotten a cape as well. I would give her mine since I didn't want it.

I felt King Vegeta's presence before the doors opened and he came striding through. He wore a smile on his face, his armor scuffed and the white of his clothing was dyed red with blood. I'm guessing that it was the first time he cut loose since the war began. I tried not to stare at him as he approached, reaching the railing that overlooked the crowd below.

He tried to kill my team. With a bomb.

I shouldn't say anything about it. That was the smartest move. To just pretend that I hadn't learned about the bomb or that I didn't believe Beets. Things would continue as they had. No rift would form between me and King Vegeta. Vegeta would be force to decide who to be angry with - our father for being willing to kill me to kill my team or me if he thought I was lying. Mom would grow to hate King Vegeta any more than she already did if she flat out didn't try to kill him.

If I kept my mouth shut, then things wouldn't get any worse.

But I couldn't do it.

I've been left in the dark long enough about things I wanted to know.

"Children of the Saiyan race," King Vegeta started to deliver a grandiose speech. His voice echoing through the ancient speakers throughout the base. "And veteran warriors. A blow has been struck to the Saiyan race's Pride this day. Our planet has been invaded by lesser life forms hardly fit for eating on some pointless crusade. Just as we had purged the Truffles from this planet, they wish to do the same to us."

King Vegeta slammed a fist against the railing, warping it around his fist. "This will not stand. Every last one of them will be purged from this planet. We will find their planets and raze them to the ground! Only after every last member of their pathetic species is dead, after every hint of their existence has been destroyed, only then will this slight be repaid in full!"

The crowd shuffled, eager to get out of the bunker to fall upon the enemy.

"On this day, you have become soldiers. Warriors. You will kill and you will kill until all the enemies of the Saiyan race lay dead at your feet. And only then will you be permitted to die," King Vegeta told them. "But, for now, you are weak. Because of that weakness, you need the strong to defeat enemies you have no hope of defeating," he said before he made a dramatic gesture to me, Mom and Vegeta.

"My wife and sons are the ones you will follow into battle. You will obey their orders without question. You will kill and you will die at their word. Prove yourselves worthy of fighting beside them," King Vegeta ordered. He wasn't answered with uproarious cheer or grim silence. Some talked, others argued, some even jeered at him. They were children and they wanted to fight.

It was up to us to turn them into soldiers.

King Vegeta turned to us, "gather your troops and crush this invasion. I want it done by nightfall," he said. Mom wasted no time rushing down to the troops, though I suspected it didn't have to do anything with wanting to obey the order. Vegeta nodded before he did the same. Yet I lingered for just a moment, looking at King Vegeta's face, who looked increasingly confused why I was just staring at him.

This was the only chance I would get for years.

I had to know.

"Did you order a bomb to be planted on my team's ship six years ago?" I asked, my voice quiet but King Vegeta heard me. His expression answered my question for me. He didn't look shocked or angry at the undeserved accusation. He wore an expression that was remarkably similar to one that Elery occasionally wore.

The expression of someone that had been caught red-handed.

I… had hoped that Beets was lying, even though he would have no reason to.

"I-" King Vegeta started to defend himself, but I couldn't bring myself to listen. Maybe I would in time. He might even have valid reasons for what he did that made sense to him. Maybe things had changed a great deal in the past six years after I've proven myself worthy to be a part of the Royal Family. Maybe, maybe, maybe. In the end, it didn't matter, because right now if I had to look at King Vegeta for a second longer, I was going to punch him in the face.

"The next time you try to kill my team, do it yourself," I spat at him, my voice tightly controlled before I turned around to leave the bunker. The other could come to me. Matillo knew what to do. I… I didn't want to stay in the same room as King Vegeta. Simply because I didn't trust myself not to make a scene. Anger burned in my chest like a lump of burning coal, simmering and spreading the searing heat throughout my body.

If I stayed, then, no matter what, I would end up punching him in the face at least once. Because they were my Team and he tried to murder them with a bomb. And that's not what we needed right now, not when we were being invaded.

I had my confirmation without either Vegeta or Mom finding out about the bomb.

I wanted it to stay that way.

It took no time at all for me to reach the surface, stepping through a vault door that was disguised as a massive rock. The vault was within a mountain, the entrance near the peak some ten miles up from the base of the mountain. I welcomed the cool air because my blood felt hot in my veins, my iron control over the Wrath State threatening to slip, if only barely.

Not a second later, I was greeted with a message. "This is Admiral Hesting of the 881st fleet-"

"This is Prince Tarble of the 501st. State your intentions or be destroyed. We've been attacked by the Frieza-force once already," I answered promptly, looking up at the sky to find the fleet but I simply saw countless pricks of light in the darkening sky.

"We read you Prince Tarble. The 881st comes in peace. I'm here to deliver your unit's reinforcements," the admiral informed, quiet distaste in his tone. Though I couldn't tell if it was for me or not.

My eyes narrowed as I used my scouter to trace where the call was coming from and my gaze found specs in the distance. The fleet. "The reinforcements for the 501st were meant to be delivered to the army, not to Planet Vegeta." I questioned, a warning in my tone that I didn't believe the story they were trying to feed me.

"That was the plan, sir, but we caught wind that you were here and…" the admiral trailed off, hesitating for the briefest seconds. "To be blunt, your fleet and army are deep in Reach territory." Meaning that he didn't want to risk his ships or life transporting them all the way there.

It made sense. My recall to Planet Vegeta was sudden but hardly a secret, so it was possible. Especially considering his attitude - the higher I climbed in rank the more it became clear that the Saiyan race was one of the only races that actually wanted to fight in the war. The admirals and generals didn't take risks, the soldiers only fought because they would die if they didn't. At times, it felt as if the entire Frieza-force was dragging its feet.

I made a split-second decision before I input a few coordinates and sent them over. "Land the transport pods there," I ordered. "Have you received any SOSs or requests for evacuation?" I asked and there was a telling pause on the other end.

"We have," He answered shortly.

"You are to disregard them. All of them," I ordered as I sent a message to Matillo on where to meet me. Blasting off, I waited for the admiral to respond. It took him a long time, long enough that I arrived at the target destination before he responded.

"Prince Tarble… some of them wish to surrender and submit to trial. The attack on your planet was unsanctioned-" that was good to confirm.

"They came to this planet to murder three million children and drive my race into extinction," I cut him off. And… I really didn't need that colorful blast to tell if I was evil or not.

In the end, it didn't matter. I was what I had to be.

"They don't get to surrender," I continued. I was used to not taking prisoners by now but there was always that thin veneer of a justification. The Reach citizens were ticking time bombs. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the Reach had no citizens, and each one was an insurgent waiting to happen because that's what happened time and time again. In the end, I didn't have a choice. There was no better option. I had looked, I had tried, and people died. No matter what anyone said, there wasn't a better option.

That wasn't the case here. I could accept their surrender.

But I wouldn't. My list of reasons was long, but in the end, it simply came down to the fact that they were the enemy. My troops needed to be tested and bloodied. The saiyans needed the experience of fighting together, to hammer home what I was trying to teach them so they would survive on a tougher battlefield. My recruits for the 501st, I needed to see if they were as good as the records showed.

And the battle wasn't done until the enemy was dead.

Again, the admiral was silent and I could feel his seething hate on the other end of the communication. I had no clue who he was or what he looked like, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was considering helping out the invaders despite my warning. I could only imagine that the ruined fleet that hovered in high orbit was a convincing argument not to.

"Your reinforcements are on their way down. 881st out and leaving the system," the admiral informed curtly before he ended the call. To confirm his words, I saw the transports racing towards my position. The very second that they were deployed, the fleet turned around and left the system.

It didn't take long for the transporters to reach us and by that time my troops arrived. Twenty-five thousand elite-class recruits reinforced with another twenty-five thousand elite-class from Matillo. That fifty thousand was further reinforced by seventy thousand low-class troops that would eventually be led by the Team, Lotuce, and Gine.

A hundred and twenty thousand saiyans stood and floated behind me as the transport pods made their descent. Eleven thousand soldiers that I had handpicked over the past two years for maximum impact and synergy. I felt powerful presences amongst the pods, and under the right circumstances, they could even be more powerful than me.

These eleven thousand troops were picked to utterly crush whatever Reach force that we encountered. To be an army by themselves.

The first pod that opened revealed a familiar face that I hadn't seen in years. Light gray skin, pitch-black eyes, and white hair with saiyan-like features. An alien I hadn't seen since the fall of Sereall when she and her race opened up a portal to transport our fleet through it. Tucked tightly against her was a younger girl who came about midway to her stomach. Her little sister.

Other pods opened, revealing more aliens of all shapes and sizes. All with various powers that made them a fighting force to be feared.

I stood still, waiting for them to gather. Unlike the saiyans behind me, the troops before me stood in perfectly straight lines that were organized by what I had recruited them for - from being scouts to vanguard to magic users to support.

There were so many presences around me that it was difficult to tell them apart. But, in time, I would learn them all so I would be able to pick them out on any battlefield. For now? Now it was time to see what they all could do.

"Let's go to war."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	44. Touch of Ruthlessness

**I will be taking a break from July 3rd to July 10th so there will be no updates during that week. **

* * *

"This is your test to see if you are worthy of learning the Wrath State," I spoke to the hundred and twenty thousand children that stood in front of me while the eleven thousand members of the 501st stood behind me. I could practically feel their excitement like static in the air. At the very front were the hundred saiyans that I had helped train. Standing next to them were a hundred that Matillo had picked out. Behind them were ten each for the ten thousand that would be assigned to the Team and others. And behind them was the rest.

"I am not testing your strength," I told them, my voice echoing through the scouters that they all wore. "I am testing your ability to follow orders and your judgment in combat. This is not a competition," I continued. It would have been better to let my techniques circulate through the child army so they all knew them and to let them get used to fighting in the teams they had been assigned.

In the end, I went with a simple model. Each group of five was led by a team leader, and that group was responsible for the well-being of those in that group. Those teams of five were then assigned to a hundred-man commander, who would then be assigned to a thousand man commander. Fasha would be in command of those ten thousand saiyans.

It had to be simple. Any more complicated than that, and it wouldn't work. The saiyans needed to feel free enough to act on their own while having a direct superior to look at for guidance.

"Your victory condition is the complete elimination of the invading army that has taken over one of our cities," I said, my gaze sweeping over the faces of an ocean of saiyans. All of them looked as young as I did, and all of them looked ignorant of what they would be walking into. "Your failure conditions are this - significant losses, recklessness, disobeying orders, and infighting. You do not lose if you are defeated in battle. Provided that you survive."

"However, the commanding officer is held responsible for any losses taken. If too many losses are taken to a squad, then the commanding officer will not only be replaced - they will be left here, on Planet Vegeta," and all of a sudden I saw a lot of nervous faces amongst those selected to be officers. "As the commanding officer, it is your duty to ensure the survival of your troops and the completion of the mission," I said before my eyes found Fasha. She gave me a firm nod and I really wished Bardock was here.

"To this extent, I will share a piece of advice I received from Bardock - the mission, the team, then pride," I quoted him. "These are your priorities as a soldier. Is that understood?" I asked and I was answered with mumbled agreements, but with over a hundred thousand of them mumbling at once, their answer was so loud it was nearly deafening.

They didn't understand. Not yet. And they wouldn't until they got a taste of war.

"Commanding officers, step forward," I ordered and they obeyed instantly. They lacked discipline, but that didn't mean that they were completely without it. I tried not to pay too much attention to Elery and to a lesser extent Broly, who looked like he was attached to Elery now that he couldn't follow me around. I didn't think either of them was listening - Elery was scolding Broly while Broly marveled at the people around him.

"You will be the first wave to attack the enemy," I informed them. They were broken up into squads, and they would in turn learn from the experience first. Both how to fight a war, and how to work as a team. That experience would serve them well when they were given their own soldiers to command. "Your objective is this to destroy the enemy's armored divisions," I informed, tapping on the side of my scouter.

A hologram of the Frieza-force standard tanks appeared, showing them what to look for. It was a simple machine, a saucer base with heavily armored floaters with a small protrusion where the main gun was. It was a slender barrel made for shooting lasers, which could kill them with a shot.

"These are the locations that they are being positioned," I continued, the hologram shifting to show their locations on a city map. Most were being used in defensive positions, but I wasn't sending them there. The three locations were where the reserves were for quick reinforcement. "You are to destroy everything you can in these locations - armored units, aircraft, and supplies. Once your mission is completed, you will immediately withdraw."

"Your failure condition is if you cannot destroy the objectives before the enemy forces respond," I told them to give them an extra dose of motivation. And if they did fail to get out of the city, then I would step in.

"You have ten minutes to prepare yourselves," I finished. Almost instantly, the thousand or so children began to bicker on how to best do things but it was easy enough to see that leaders amongst the leaders were rising to power. Olaive, Kakarot, and Elery, surprising enough. There were a few others as well, but those few began to hammer out a plan.

I turned to Matillo, Fasha, and Gine. "Avoid helping them if you can. Only interfere if they're about to die," I told them. We would act as an unseen safety net. The recruits needed the experience, but we weren't in a position to recklessly throw lives away.

"As you command, my Prince," Matillo agreed and I earned determined nods from the others. Good. I would have liked to have Mom's troops here as well, but she already went to crush her own army with her recruits in tow. The same with Vegeta, and… King Vegeta, who I hadn't seen since we last spoke. Which brought my attention to Paragus, who I hadn't seen since this whole mess had started.

But, in the end, I was fine with that.

I looked at the sea of faces, over a hundred thousand saiyans that were excited to finally to go to war as if the battlefield was a theme park of some kind. Some were practicing techniques while others looked bored out of their mind. The ones not fighting would need something to do, but for now I had more pressing concerns than their boredom.

Turning around, I faced the leaders of the divisions of the 501st. Most of them almost looked saiyan-like, some more so than others. The 501st was now broken up between further divisions - there would be the Infantry, Scouts, and Support. Ten thousand of the various aliens would be classified as Infantry, with five hundred being Scouts and Support. Of the Support, there was another sub-group - the technological support, and the magic support.

My gaze found the gray-skinned alien from before. I didn't know what race she was, but I knew that she had powerful teleportation magic. I didn't know if she could use it like that one alien did when he fought Vegeta, but even if she couldn't then she would still be invaluable.

"While they're training, we'll be hitting another target," I told them, switching to a 501st only frequency. "All of you have been personally picked by me for your natural abilities, technological achievements, and past exploits. Because of them, you have my attention. But I want more from you than eleven thousand warriors fighting as individuals. Just like the children behind me, you will be tested to prove that you can work together as a fighting force."

I saw some aliens shift at that, clearly not liking that I was questioning their abilities. Some looked down at me, not quite dismissively but close.

"We will be heading to another city for you to clear. Do any of you have objections to killing traitor Frieza-force soldiers?" I asked, my gaze sweeping over them as I floated upward so all of them could see me. And so I could see their expressions. It was easy enough to see that some had doubts, but they didn't step forward. Good. "Infantry - you're being broken up into three groups to attack these positions," I explained as I displayed their targets.

The army they would be dealing with was substantially larger, closer to a million soldiers than not. If they couldn't crush those odds then I didn't need them here.

"Each group will have a detachment of Scouts and Support. I will allow you to have a great deal of freedom in dealing with this task, but when I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed," I said. I wanted to see what they could do and how to best leverage their abilities.

"You," I said, turning to the gray-skinned woman who seemed practically attached to the younger girl. "Are you able to do whatever it was you did with the fleet?" I asked directly, and her black eyes looked away sharply when our gazes met.

"I would need to have some kind of visual of where to open the rift, but I would be able to," she spoke softly. It was very different than the grief-stricken sobbing that I heard years ago. And when I told her that she had flown over the city, she nodded, "My sisters can do this."

That was the answer I wanted to hear.

"Good. You're the leader of them, right?" I asked and it was impossible to miss the expression of grief that passed over her face. I didn't know much about her situation beyond what I had read in her dossier - a race of magic users on a desert wasteland of a planet, small population, and the female magic users called themselves sisters. Though, I did notice that their population was rather sparse after a couple of years of war.

"I… I am," she answered with as much strength as she could muster. "With Mother dead, I am the leader of the Nightsisters," she confirmed, looking at me as if she dared me to contradict her. Not sure why I would, so I simply nodded.

"Then open up the rifts," I ordered, earning a nod before I glanced over my shoulder to see Elery flying upwards with the thousand other children. Matillo, Fasha, and Gine would take care of them. Elery caught my look and offered a big wave and a smile, prompting Broly to give one as well.

Maybe it was a mistake letting Broly go. His reaction to death was more in line with what I had experienced at first than a normal saiyan. But, in the end, he would need to get over that reaction, just like I had. He was powerful and he was only going to get stronger. Saiyan's followed strength, so whether he wanted it or not, people would look to him for orders. It was better than he was prepared for it.

I offered a small smile and a nod, watching them take off in the direction of the city. They would be fine. Turning my attention back to the Night Mother, or whatever her title was, I saw her make familiar movements, alongside with fifty others of her species. Green mist hovered around their hands as they moved, their lips moving but I couldn't hear the words.

After a moment, three green flames appeared before they seemed to burn away at the air, forming a portal that revealed a city on the other end. With well-practiced experience, the recruits for the 501st marched through the portals, heading towards the city. I gestured for the magic users to follow.

It didn't take long for the city to notice our sudden appearance. In the little time that they had, they fortified the city well. I saw defensive turrets, armored divisions, squads of aircraft circling above the city as well as hundreds of thousands of soldiers dug in. They would fight with the desperation of those with their backs against the wall since the fleet had refused to aid them.

"What's your name?" I asked as I saw streaks of light race towards us, slamming into our positions with small explosions. Rubble rained down on us, but I didn't feel a single presence disappear. The heavy hitters of the Infantry rushed forward to soften up their defenses and to buy time for our more vulnerable infantry to get in position to push.

We weren't far from the city, on the outskirts of it, so it took no time at all for the battle to begin.

"Narra," Narra answered shortly.

"Follow me," I ordered, floating upward, only to find that she hesitated. The girl that was practically attached to her looked absolutely terrified, looking at me with unnerving solid black eyes. Narra was hesitating and it was easy enough to see why. "She can come to," I added, watching some tension ease out of Narra.

I had made sure that Narra and her sister hadn't been separated, and for all I knew, they had been reunited, but I had underestimated how attached they would be. Regardless, both of them floated upwards, following me after Narra gave a meaningful gaze to the others. We sailed through the air, above the city, to get a vantage to watch the battle unfold.

The heavy hitters were doing good work. Some were more durable, others were extremely strong - like the short, rock-like four-armed aliens. They couldn't fly or use any kind of ki blasts, but they were physically strong and durable. With two ranged weapons and two melee weapons, they carved through the traitor's defensive lines.

It paved the way for more vulnerable soldiers - like the one that became three, each wearing identical armor and weapons. They moved in perfect unison, as if they were still the same being, as they moved from the street into buildings to clear them of the enemy. They were weaker physically, but that's why I gave them high tech personal shields and weapons. Depending on the situation, I'd even be willing to put them against scarabs.

Other's offered support from the air. A large winged alien flew through the air, dodging and weaving between blasts before he returned fire. Or, rather, ice vapor that sharpened into spikes that punched slammed into the fighter ships. When one attempted to ram into him, his body became intangible, the ship flying right through him before he finished it off by attacking its main floater.

We had the element of surprise on our side, but it was already wearing off. The traitors reacted well, more choosing to use their weapons than their magic. Even still, the number of allies hadn't dropped down a single tick so far. That was promising.

"Might I ask why you wanted me to accompany you… Prince Tarble?" Narra asked after a few minutes of silence as we watched the recruits carve through the city.

"These aliens, the ones that attacked my race, they use magic too," I told her, and judging by her expression, she could tell as much. "I'm wondering if you would be able to copy it?" I asked, wondering how to leverage such magic. My hopes were quickly dashed when Narra shook her head.

"Not without decades of study, and even then not well," Narra denied. "Their magic is channeled through religious beliefs, and their faith empowers their spells. It's fundamentally different than how my race uses magic." She answered with some hesitance.

"And how does your race use magic?" I asked, deciding that I wanted to learn more about the subject as I watched the battle unfold. I watched as a large crystal alien waded through a defensive position, their weapons and spells doing little to the recruit. The recruit's hands shifted, condensing into long blades before it slashed through the enemy. Everything that they slashed at was cut through with ease.

"My race channels a planet's natural magic by acting as conduits," she explained, relaxing slightly. "We shape it to our will and a spell is formed."

"Do all planets have magic?" I questioned, recalling something about magical leylines way back when I picked Earth as my reward for starting the war with the Reach.

"Yes and no. A planet's magic is linked to the life that lives there. If the planet is dead, if nothing can grow there, then there will be little magic. Though, that is relatively speaking." Meaning that Reach planets would be a hit or miss considering how industrialized they were. "A healthy planet has a great deal more magic, enough so that certain aspects may grow a level of sentience - your planet would be an example. The Red is very strong here."

"The Red?" I questioned, watching as a sickly green alien spat out a glob of acid powerful enough that it ate through people and vehicles alike.

"A fraction that covers animal wildlife, which is called a Parliament. It has the power to choose a champion to defend it, but its strength is determined by the health of the wildlife." Narra explained, making me blink in surprise as I considered that for a moment.

I think I had an idea who that Champion was, I figured. And apparently the Saiyan race had brought enough apex predators that we had accidentally powered a magical Parliament. That was… something.

"Hm-" I started, wondering what I should do with that information. However, my attention was caught when I saw a bright flash of light appear above the city - the cackling of lightning of electricity thundered above the city almost to the point that it was deafening. I saw a woman at the source of it, holding her hands as the clouds above swirled before offering more electricity that arced to her.

My scouter ticked upward, reading the power level of the attack, and my lips thinned. It wasn't a city killer blast yet, but it would be if she kept powering it up.

"Power down your attack. You'll hit friendlies," I ordered, speaking directly into her scouter. My lips thinned as I saw that her attack continued to increase. She was ignoring me. "If you kill a friendly troop, then you die as well," I warned her and even if she tried to hide it, I saw her expression shift through the blinding light.

Her short black hair fanned out, her skin holding a pinkish hue to it as her eyes glowed a solid white. She looked like a saiyan, so it was easy to tell that she could hear me judging by the scowl that she wore. Her build was slender but there was a fair bit of muscle on her, and quite a few scars as well. I knew her by sight because she was one of my more controversial picks.

Vas. An exile that was caught, enslaved, then auctioned off to the Frieza-force.

In the end, I was willing to bet my after-dinner snack that she considered all of us enemies.

Regardless, I saw that the attack had diminished in scale, the power level ticking downward in the right direction. When she unleashed it, a massive bolt of electricity that slammed into the ground with a deafening crack that obliterated an entire block, I heard her speak in a low angry tone. "Never thought I'd see a saiyan that gave a shit about friendly-fire," she remarked and I couldn't tell if she intended for me to hear that.

"That warning still stands," I told her as she turned her attention to a squad of ships that were taking aim at her. Lightning flung from her fingers, tearing through the ships in a fiery explosion. "The 501st is a team. We look out for each other to make sure that we all make it back from every mission. That includes you. But if you can't hold yourself back and kill friendlies, then there's no place for you in this unit. If you have a problem with that, then put in a transfer."

Vas turned to look at me, flinging lighting in my direction as a snarl tugged at her face. Before it reached us, a Frieza-force ship darted in the way, exploding upon contact. I heard Narra and the girl that was practically attached to her gasp, prompting me to put up a bubble shield to make sure that they were alright. As the smoke cleared, I saw that she was still glaring in my direction.

"And if you want to take a shot at me, then I suggest you do better than that," I told her. At that, her lips twitched upwards into a smile.

"Will do, Prince Tarble," Vas told me before she threw herself back into the fight.

I let out a small sigh before I glanced over at Narra and her sister, "Are you alright?" I asked, wondering if I should have paid more attention to personalities rather than how well their powers would synergize.

"We are fine… thank you for your assistance," Narra said, holding her sister tight. I paid her thanks no mind as I watched my soldiers steadily demolish the enemy. The traitor's melted underneath the attacks of the Infantry, the Support amplifying their hitting power until there was nothing that the invaders could do to stop them.

What's more, I hadn't lost a single troop yet while the enemy dropped like flies.

Now, time to see how my other troops were doing. I turned to Narra, who watched the slaughter happen with an impassive expression, but the girl in her grip squirmed as she clenched her eyes shut. "Can you open up a portal above this city?" I asked, making a hologram of Planet Vegeta appear with a highlighted city appear.

Narra looked pensive for a moment before she shook her head, "I need a clear picture of the location to open a portal." She answered, nervous at my reaction. And, in the end, I guess I really couldn't blame her for that. In time she would learn that I didn't kill people because they couldn't do what I asked. Or because they annoyed me. But she was also quick to continue, "but, if you're close to someone in that city, I can open a portal near them."

That was useful, I thought as I nodded. Narra stretched out a hand, prompting me to place mine on top of hers. Narra closed her eyes for a moment before saying, "Please think of them. A clear picture. It will help me find them."

An image of Elery came to mind. When she was younger, just a baby that had first learned how to fly after I taught her. Naturally, the first thing she tried to do was fly to the stars above and had been rather upset with me when I wouldn't let her go into outer space.

A green flame appeared that burned away at the air to reveal Elery as she fought in the city. Her stump of a tail was revealed to me, so she couldn't see the green portal behind her. Her armor was scuffed, her white gloves dyed red with blood, and over the sounds of death and chaos, it sounded as if she was having the time of her life. Her, along with everyone else amongst the group.

Elery, Olaive and Kakarot's squads moved as one, using the buildings as cover as they destroyed the supplies for the army of a hundred thousand they were up against. I watched them progress, working together as they took down anything that got in their way. They even unveiled a new technique that I hadn't taught them - a ki disk that was used as a shield, reminiscent of when I used Destructo Disks for the same result years ago.

My lips tugged upwards into a grin at that. Especially when it was becoming increasingly clear that they didn't need my help. Not when they coordinated so well. It had its problems, to be certain, but I felt my worries diminish. They were fine, the recruits had completed their objective and now they were retreating under the watchful eyes of Matillo and Fasha.

However, as they retreated, I noticed one whose gloves were completely clean of blood. Had it been anyone else, I would have assumed that they had simply used ki attacks, but I knew better than to think that as I watched Broly fly with his team in formation. His skin was pale, he looked sick to his stomach and on the verge of tears. Broly… looked a lot like how I imagine I looked back on Rockoroad.

I felt bad for him. But, I knew that he would grow out of his soft-heartedness in time like I had. Because, in the end, the choice between the lives of your friends and the lives of the enemy… well, that was a simple choice to make.

"Thank you," I told her, splitting my attention between watching the Sayian and 501st recruits. Both were progressing well and it wouldn't be long before we could move on to the next enemies. I spared Narra a glance to see that she was giving me an odd look that she tried to hide when I caught her.

"There is no need for thanks. You… worry for your sister," Narra observed after a moment. I wondered for a moment if it was that obvious before I nodded at the girl that clung to Narra just as tightly as she clung to her.

I looked away, turning my attention back to Elery as she tried to lead a bunch more than just her squad. It wasn't going well, but both parties were learning from the experience. And they would have plenty of other chances to learn today.

"So do you," I returned, making Narra fall silent as I watched as the invading enemy was relentlessly destroyed.

Antiople wasn't going to know what hit it.

* * *

Screens, graphs, and sprawling numbers. It was astonishing how simply galactic warfare looked on a hologram, Koter thought as he tapped his fingers a few times. Now a flagging division would be reinforced so they would be able to hold out for an additional month. A Scout-class scarab was sent to push back a probing strike from the Cold-force. A fleet was given orders to retreat for repairs and its position would be covered by another fleet.

War was numbers in the end. Numbers of lives, numbers of weapons, numbers of ships, number of rations, and numbers of losses. Knowing how to manage all of them was the key to success. Knowing when to trade one number for the other was the fundamental truth to war, Koter was coming to learn.

After two years of balancing the numbers for the westernmost front, something was becoming incredibly clear.

"The situation has become unsustainable," Koter spoke aloud. The Frieza-force had made too much progress on other fronts. The line of Shield Worlds that had kept the Cold-force at bay since the war began was being flanked, their reinforcements and supplies coming under attack more often than not and after two years, Koter was feeling the effects. Scarabs had to be used sparingly, rotation of equipment, and repairs were a constant issue.

Though, that did not mean that the defensive line would fall today. Nor tomorrow, nor a year from now. At the utmost, provided nothing changed drastically, he suspected he could hold the line for another ten years. But, inevitably, the line would fall through sheer attrition. Simply because the Reach Empire had never truly expected to use the Shield Worlds. They were too used to expanding.

"Grand Commander?" One of his aids spoke up, eyeing the information with a less trained eye. Another member of his species from a minor family. The foundation for bringing the minor families underneath his rule.

Grand Commander. Only a few steps below the top of the Reach military hierarchy. He commanded armies numbering in the billions, countless fleets, and led the defenses of the Shield Worlds. He had climbed high in the past few years with the aid of the new leader of the Rus'gun family, who was indebted to him force rescuing him from torture. That and the brainwashing to make him loyal to Koter.

"We have three choices," Koter thought aloud, balancing the numbers, contrasting them to the map of the stretch of space that had become littered with corpses of sapient and ships. "We go on the offensive," he started, picturing it in his head.

"We push them back, retake these planets, and dig in once again." Koter highlighted three planets that were rich in resources, well developed, and would strengthen the defensive line. "However, should the push fail, then we'll be worse off than before. We won't last another year before we're forced to retreat." Worse, the offensive would need to be a perfect success, something that was rarely seen in war.

"Second, we dig in as much as we can and prepare ourselves to be cut off from the Reach Empire and surrounded." This option was more appealing. They could switch over to robotic soldiers to reduce the need for consumable food and begin breaking down available materials to develop a stockpile. By the time that the Frieza-force surrounded them, they would have the materials to last a century.

"But, that does little to help the Reach," Koter continued before he settled on the final option. "Lastly, we can retreat-"

"Retreat?" His aid interrupted his thought process, and judging by his expression, he realized what a foolish thing that was to do. But, he was forging the image of a kind mentor, so it wouldn't do to snap at him.

Koter looked down at the map, at the armies and fleets of the Cooler-force. Cooler himself had yet to make an appearance, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't eventually. Koter knew Cooler. Not well, but well enough that he could only stomach his younger brother showing him up for so long. It was only a matter of time before he did something.

They could last ten years, without question. If they dig in, that could be pushed to over twenty-five years or longer.

His gaze found another line of Shield Worlds, an interconnected web that had yet to be touched by the Frieza-force. Koter opened his mouth to explain what he intended, only to be interrupted once again, this time by a door sliding open. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that it was his wife.

Sea green faceplates, yellow eyes that seemed to glow as she looked at him. Fierce, and almost as proud, she strode into the room as if she owned it. Stripes on her arms marked her as an admiral, and in the past two years, she was one of the few that he learned he could trust with any task. An irony, to be certain, especially considering that he had been planning to kill her before they had been married.

But as all things did, the plan changed.

"Your gambit failed to pay off," Sousk informed him, handing him a tablet that displayed a top-secret military report for the Frieza-force. His agents in the Board of Directors had paid off more than he could have suspected. It was a long time until he would be able to seize control of the Trade Organization, but when it came to getting his hands on reports or stirring up trouble, his agents proved to be invaluable.

Koter took the tablet and frowned as he skimmed it. "The entire royal family, hm?" He muttered, zeroing in on one name in particular. Prince Tarble. He had yet to climb up any higher up the chain of command, but he won a stunning number of victories as his personal strength grew. Though, from what he read, his strategies had become rather formulaic. Hopefully, that was simply because he hadn't found another enemy to challenge him tactically.

"What atrocious timing," Koter muttered to himself. Setting the tablet to the side, he suppressed a small sigh as the chance to eliminate the saiyan race in one fell swoop in an attack that couldn't be traced back to him slipped by. His gaze landed on the Cooler-force side of the tactics map. "If only our unexpected friend had warned us sooner."

"If only," Sousk agreed before she stepped beside him. "What are my next orders?" She asked, moving the subject away from the failure that he knew he would one day regret.

Koter gestured to the map, an enemy fleet that had been growing too bold by half and needed to be checked.

Sousk smiled when she saw who her next enemy was.

* * *

Finally done with the arc. This was meant to be a much shorter one than it ended up being because I underestimated how long it would take for the invasion to wrap up. Not entirely happy with it, but it's time to move on to the next arc.

The next two arcs are going to be four chapters each that covers six years.

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	45. Sound of Change

"Get out of my face," Fasha warned, taking a threatening step forward towards the downright ugly alien that had pissed her off. Her eyes blazed yellow, the mind-shattering agony of the Wrath State flooded her veins, making them bulge as she kept her instincts to destroy and slaughter in check. If only because the alien that was stupid enough to try to shoulder check her was wearing a Frieza-force uniform. Sort of.

The alien was wreathed in fire, two volcano-like protrusions were its shoulders and they constantly spewed fire. That same intense reddish flames covered it's head, serving as hair and a beard. Its face lacked any kind of features, only a faceplate in the general shape of a face and then a chin underneath could be seen in the fire. Its uniform was burnt, barely holding together and what was left was little more than blackened armor, cooked from the lines of flowing magma that shifted within its body.

Instead of doing the smart thing, the fire that immolated the alien flashed hotter, heat washing over her face. The metal where he stood started the glow bright red, the air itself sweltering while the other aliens walking down the hallways backed off. Fasha reached out and pressed a hand against its chest, her hand burning but the pain was nothing compared to the Wrath State, even as flesh cooked and blackened.

Then she pushed. Lightly. It was still enough to send the alien flying through the wall with a loud screech of metal tearing apart. Gritting her teeth, Fasha very calmly walked into the storeroom that was currently on fire. The alien tried to push itself up, but Fasha slammed a foot onto its faceplate, ignoring how her boot melted away. "You're going to try to start shit with me? Listen close - the only reason I haven't crushed your skull is that you're a member of the 501st. Tarble would be upset if I did. So, instead of being all pissy, how about you go to him, drop to your fucking knees and thank him for saving your life, trash."

To seal the point home, Fasha pressed her foot down. The flames burnt away her leg protected, reducing the metal of the floor to glowing red hot slag, but Fasha ignored it until she heard a satisfying crack. Like someone had snapped a piece of glass. Withdrawing her foot, Fasha admired her handiwork. A large crack formed at one of the alien's eyes, splitting it into three. She thought the piece might fall off, but it remained there. A nice permanent reminder to never mess with her again.

With her pointed made, Fasha walked out of the room, half hoping that it would try to take a cheap shot at her. It didn't. Coward. The other aliens flinched when they met her blazing yellow gaze but she paid them little mind as she walked forward, forming a Medicine Ball. As the soothing healing light took care of her burns, the crowd parted for her to let her continue onto her destination.

On her way, she ran into Shugesh. Her longtime teammate looked as he ever did - bowl-shaped haircut, a goatee that was growing in after about six years of growing it, powerful arms and a stomach pushing out his armor. He glanced at her appearance, the burnt edges of her uniform, and her missing boot before he let out a huff of laughter. "Another one?" He asked, tossing her a piece of jerky. Fasha liked Shugesh. He kept giving her food.

"Another one," Fasha agreed, biting the jerky in half and before she was done chewing, she threw the other half in her mouth and swallowed. "Tarble sure knows how to pick them," Fasha said with a satisfied smile, throwing her hands behind her head as they walked down the hallway of the flagship.

The recruits of the 501st were used to being the toughest of whatever unit they were in. And now, all of those small flames thinking they were bigshots were all a part of the same unit. It was an honest miracle that the ship didn't reek of urine because if how many pissing contests were happening every day.

And it said a lot about Tarble that no one had been killed yet. He was letting the strong assert themselves, a natural hierarchy of strength and ability forming, but he was undoubtedly at the top of it. He gave the order as soon as they entered the ship - no killing each other, or he would kill the winner.

So far, everyone proved that they believed him to be the strongest because no one dared to challenge him or his rule.

"They're targeting us specifically. Since they can't take a shot at Tarble," Shugesh pointed out. "It's good to fight something other than Scarabs. Just a shame we can't fight to the death."

"Yeah, but what can you do?" Fasha shrugged her shoulders. "We need them for the fight."

Shugesh grinned, "Can't wait for it. Has Tarble told you the plan yet?" He asked, making her frown. Fasha knew that their target was a Shield World, the first one that would breach the gate that protected the Reach's outer core world's. Which, naturally, made it well protected to an extreme degree. Fleets upon fleets, armies upon armies, Scarabs upon Scarabs.

Tarble had been keeping his cards close to his chest on exactly what the plan was.

"He told you?" Fasha asked, making Shugesh shake his head. That was reassuring. If Tarble was going to Shugesh with tactics, then he had clearly taken too many blows to the head.

"No, but I heard he's coordinating with another fleet. A couple of them actually, about four in all. And it has something to do with that one FTL drive… the, uh… the slip something," Shugesh trailed off when he saw her blank look. "The one with the portal where like a week is two seconds in normal time? The one we used to get to Rench." Understanding flooded Fasha as memories came running in.

Way back when Tarble had been trying to fill Bardock's shoes and they had been expecting him to obey orders.

"Right. What about it?" Fasha asked, trying to fit the pieces together. Maybe it was a case no one knowing yet, but attacking a Shield World with only one ship was tantamount to suicide. Given how the Reach just cut right through Frieza-force ships, they would need at least five fleets working together. What did the Slipdrive have anything to do with anything?

"I'm guessing he's planning to use it to jump into the system like we did with Rench. If the Reach made the wink drive, then they probably know how to jam it," Shugesh pointed out. "We jump into the system, hit the fleet with a surprise attack, then we jump out to do repairs and stuff, then we jump back in."

That sounded like a very Tarble solution, but Fasha had her doubts.

"Tarble has been spending a lot of time with those magic users," Fasha noted. She didn't know why or what they spoke about, but that gray-skinned alien was usually seen hovering around Tarble for one reason or another. What she did know was that Tarble gave them a task, something to study, but he had been cagy about what. "So they probably have something to do with the plan."

"Why don't we just go ask him?" Tora spoke up, leaning against a wall, waiting to speak up until after they had passed him by. "Tarble is teaching the kids the watered-down Wrath State right now, so it's probably the best time."

Fasha nodded, "Sounds good. I'm looking forward to a real challenge again. The planets we've been taking have been too easy." Though, Fasha wasn't sure how she felt about the kids learning a weaker version of the Wrath State. She understood the logic of it. Even with a times ten multiplier, their power level would be around ten thousand max, but there were over a hundred thousand Saiyan kids trying to master the state. Teaching the full version was just asking for problems because a hundred thousand kids going mad with pain sounded like a real mess.

Still, Fasha hoped that they would scale up to the full version quickly. They were going to need it.

"Careful what you ask for. A Shield World might be a bit too much for us to chew," Tora remarked, though he didn't sound particularly worried. "Tarble has been sticking up on crazy amounts of food. I think he's worried about running into another Rench situation."

That wasn't surprising. It had been his first mission as a leader and everyone had nearly starved to death. Well, the saiyans would have after eating everyone else. Supply lines were something that Tarble paid attention to with near-religious intensity.

"Hm. And I've heard that he's been working with Technician," Fasha offered her own but of gossip to try to complete the puzzle. The Slipdrive, the amount of food, consulting with magic and tech users… Fasha had ideas, but she wouldn't be willing to put any food on them. She learned better than to think she knew what was going on in the heads of people like Bardock and Tarble.

So, Fasha shrugged to herself, "We aren't going to figure it out. You're right, let's just go ask him." Tora nodded as he led them down the halls. Now that the three of them were together, not even the real trouble makers that populated the 501st thought to try anything as they walked by. Despite their small numbers in an army of a million, Tarble's 501st presence could be felt everywhere in the flagship.

The other ninety hundred thousand might as well not have been there. The recruits, both saiyan and 501st had handled the last few planets that they had taken. Getting them used to combat and working together.

"Hey," Fasha started as they walked through the halls towards one of the designated training areas. "Do you think Tarble would be getting promoted after we take the Shield World? Maybe we could split off from Queen Teach's army if Tarble becomes a general." Despite spending the past two years with her, Fasha still wasn't sure how she felt about the Queen.

Fasha respected her, but she wasn't sure how she felt. Queen Teach was pretty much everything a saiyan woman should be - incredibly strong, powerful, and independent. Queen Teach was… a friend, for a lack of a better word. Just like Gine was. And, one day, her friends would be pitted against each other because there was no doubt in her mind that Queen Teach would side with the Royal family. Queen Teach didn't care for King Vegeta, but she certainly cared for Prince Vegeta, the heir to the throne.

If Tarble sided with Bardock… then her friend was going to have to pick between which of her children to fight against. Just like how Tarble was going to have to pick between his team and his family.

That entire situation was so utterly fucked that Fasha didn't want to think about it. With any luck, both King and Prince Vegeta would die in the war so no one would be forced to choose between anyone. It wouldn't happen, but she could hope.

"Maybe. Though, the kids aren't ready to fight in the battles were going to be bringing them into," Tora responded. "The others are a good meatshield for them."

"Eh, maybe. Something to think about at least," Fasha said before the arrived at the training area. The double door slid open and they were hit with the sounds of a hundred children screaming in pain. Tarble hovered above them all, his arms crossed over his chest while a red cape was draped from his shoulders. Even now, all these years later, it was hard to reconcile that one of the most powerful saiyans in their history barely reached her knee in height.

The children's faces were twisted in pain but not the kind of agony that she felt when she was in the Wrath State. Out of curiosity, Fasha tapped down on her scouter. The numbers fluctuated, but she saw that most of them were hovering around twice the kids base power. Which was progress, even if they were a long way away from their end destination.

Then a kid snapped. He threw his head back and unleashed an ear-piercing scream as his power level surged. Veins bulge in his neck and arms-

And, before he could even finish screaming, Tarble was on top of him and grabbed his tail. The kid slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. Much like he had done with them back when they were getting the hang of the Wrath State. The Team hadn't mastered it yet, not like Tarble had.

"Keep yourselves centered. Memorize the level of power you have flowing through you. That's your target. You need to be able to keep it at that level no matter the situation - despite being in a fight, despite the pain, despite feeling the need you need more power, you keep it at that level," Tarble called out, letting go of the kid's tail. "No matter what. Because if you lose control in a fight, then you're dead. End of story."

It was still weird seeing Tarble so authoritative, able to command a room of what looked like they should be his peers. In the past two years, he really had settled into the role of being a commander. Giving orders, taking control, and accepting responsibility. Bardock, if he was here, would be proud of him.

Her, Tora, and Shugesh stood at the edge of the railing, waiting for the lesson to end. Tarble picked up on their presence without looking at them and drifted over towards them. "How are things with your troops?" He asked, still watching over the current batch of kids learning the first stage of the Wrath State.

"Fine. Eager for another fight," Fasha answered first. Her kids were driven, eager to rise to the top of the food chain, just like Prince Tarble had. From low-class to elite-class. It gave Fasha a better appreciation for Bardock and Tarble because leading that many people, children no less, was a tedious and frustrating task. Enough so that it made her wish that she had started out in charge of a much more reasonable number.

Only then those kids would probably be killed off in a random battle on a nameless planet because of an idiot commander.

"They're going to have to wait a bit," Tarble informed.

"So we're not taking the kids to hit the Shield World?" Tora questioned, making Tarble shake his head.

"No. They're nowhere near ready for that yet. If we take them, then they'll just get themselves killed. Or we'll get killed trying to save them," Tarble said, watching over the kids. And while he thought nothing of it, it said a lot about him that he expected a Saiyan warrior to die to protect children. Because most wouldn't. The other mid-class, and royal family certainly wouldn't.

Shugesh let out a huff, "They're not going to like that."

"They won't. But it's better than being dead," Tarble dismissed with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Will Broly be coming with us?" Tora asked and a frown tugged at Tarble's lips as he considered the question. Broly… Fasha was worried about Broly.

Just like Tarble was an utterly massive wrench thrown into the plan to usurp the throne so Bardock could be King, Broly changed things drastically. A power level that seemed to inch closer to ninety thousand every day, Broly was probably a bigger wrench that Tarble was. His father was completely on board if it meant he got his 'vengeance' but his participation didn't mean Broly's. Especially considering that Broly might as well be attached to Tarble they were together so often.

"No. At least not in the initial wave," Tarble denied. "It would mess with his cover."

"So," Fasha spoke up, leaning on the railing. "What is the plan then? We've been guessing for a while now but I can't figure out what you have planned beyond it involves the 501st."

Tarble's lips curled into a smile that looked very out of place on his face - a small smile that was sharp enough to cut with a dangerous point.

He told them his plan.

It was crazier than anything Bardock had ever come up with. So crazy that there was no way that it wouldn't work.

* * *

"I don't want to fight Narra," Narra's youngest sister, Nakka whispered into her stomach. Her arms were wrapped around her in a desperate hug, clinging to her like a lifeline that she was terrified would slip between her small fingers. "I don't want you to fight. It's… it's horrible! I can…" Nakka's voice was muffled but Narra heard them clearly. "I can hear their voices disappearing. They're so angry and sad, I just want it to stop!"

Narra ran her fingers through her sister's hair, rubbing soothing circles into her back as Nakka trembled as she cried. No words of reassurance escaped her throat. Not that they would have done any good. This was not the first time this has happened, nor would it be the last. Nakka was burdened with a great gift back on their home planet, but here, in war, it was proving to be a terrible curse.

Instead, the only words of reassurance Narra could give were aimed to herself to stop her from breaking down as well. That Nakka would see the end of this war and live a long happy life that would make the scars of trauma fade. That her sister would grow into her role as Night Mother, a role that Narra currently filled. That… that this nightmare would end, they would return home, and never again would they suffer at the hands of Frieza's tyranny.

"He's coming this way," Nakka warned her. The Prince was coming, likely to try to learn more of the long safeguarded secrets of her race's magic.

"Nakka… what…?" Narra asked her little sister as she pulled away from her, drying her eyes on her sleeves. Saiyans respected physical strength and power, but it seemed that Prince Tarble held a quiet respect for inner strength. So she and her sisters, all of the sisters of her race, put up a brave face to earn his favor.

"His voice is soft and quiet," Nakka answered after a moment. "And sad most of the time."

That wasn't the answer Narra had expected, but it was a welcomed one. She would never forgive him for bringing Nakka here, to such a dangerous place - being separated from her sister was better than the torment she suffered being on the battlefield. In other armies, Nakka could hang back and avoid the worst of it. In an army led by Saiyans? A race that craved death and destruction?

Nakka had seen more war in the past month than she had seen in the past two years.

Even still, it was a reassurance that he wasn't as malevolent like his master, the tyrant Frieza.

"Are you ready?" Narra asked her youngest sister, straightening her hair. Nakka sniffled once, wiping her nose before she nodded. "If it ever becomes too much-"

"Then I'll find you," Nakka finished for her in a small voice thick with emotion. She sniffled again and reached out, clutching Narra's hand in a tight grip. Narra gave her youngest sister a tight-lipped smile, wishing that she could do more. But she couldn't. Taking in a small breath, Narra squeezed Nakka's hand once before they stepped outside of their quarters.

Looking to her left, Narra saw Prince Tarble walking down the hallway. With Broly right behind him, clutching Prince Tarble's red cape with one hand while he stuffed a ration bar into his mouth with the other while both of them looked out at a hologram of what lay outside of the thick hull - a pitch-black void filled with billions of pricks of light.

They were cute - that much Narra could admit to herself. Despite the armor, they looked like very small children lost on a massive ship with Broly holding onto Prince Tarble to stop himself from being left behind. But appearances were deceiving. Prince Tarble had murdered millions with his own two hands and caused the death of millions more.

"Narra," Prince Tarble greeted her, slowing to a stop and making Broly bump into the back of him since he was too distracted by his ration bar and the view in equal measures.

"Prince Tarble, Broly," Narra greeted, giving a small bow of submission. "Is there something that you require of me?" So far, she found that Prince Tarble preferred simple politeness rather than subservience.

Prince Tarble started to shake his head, only to pause. "I'm going to meet with Technician now. Are you prepared?" He asked, his black eyes hardening as he looked at her. Young and cute as he might be, his eyes didn't fit the body he inhabited. His gaze was sharp enough that she felt its edge and carried a weight that didn't belong to a child.

"I am," Narra quickly answered as she fell in step behind Prince Tarble. Broly looked back at her, his dark eyes flicking between her and Nakka. He dropped the wrapper to his ration on the ground, briefly letting go of Prince Tarble's cape to open up a capsule of a box of rations, grabbed another, then resealed the capsule. Taking hold of Prince Tarble's cape again, Broly started eating the ration.

Out of curiosity, Narra looked behind her to see that a trail of wrappers marked their path.

"Good. Everything is almost in place. If Technician is done with his part, then we'll be hitting the Shield World soon," Prince Tarble said and Narra could hear the excitement in his voice. Narra squeezed down reassuringly on Nakka's hand, trying to pretend as if the thought of the future battle didn't terrify her to her core.

A Shield World. The last time she had seen one, it had been just after their Night Mother had just perished, her sisters were scattered, and she had aided in an unforgivable act. The destruction of a planet and killing who knew how many people. This time, it was Nakka who squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Very well. I am prepared for what you have planned," Narra said and she had no idea if those words were a lie. The burden of leadership was heavy, and the war that her race found themselves dragged into conflicted heavily with her kind's teachings. Their magic was meant to bring balance so life could flourish, yet Narra found herself creating spells for the sole purpose of killing at Prince Tarble's request.

It was better that her hands were stained with blood than her sisters. Being a Mother was about making sacrifices. If she could be the only one that took a life, then Narra would be glad for it. Her ancestors would spit on her if they saw what she had done, and will do, but that was simply a sacrifice that she had to make.

"The spell is done?" Prince Tarble questioned as he led them through the halls of the ship.

Narra's lips thinned at the abomination of a spell she had created because Prince Tarble had ordered it. "It is," she answered shortly. Prince Tarble didn't seem to notice her curt tone. Or if he did, he didn't care.

"Will I have to fight?" Nakka spoke up for the first time in the Prince's presence. Narra opened her mouth to answer, but Prince Tarble shook his head before she could begin.

"No. You're not ready yet. The 501st will be the initial wave. You and the other recruits won't be sent planetside until we've secured it," Prince Tarble reassured. And not just her and her sister. Narra saw that Broly looked relieved as well behind the crumbs on his face. Relieved tinged with shame. Perhaps not all of the Saiyans were filled with those that enjoyed carnage? "You'll be here with the other recruits for however long that takes," he said before he threw her a look over his shoulder. "Unless she should come?"

"She shouldn't," Narra quickly put the idea to rest.

"If you say so," Prince Tarble let the topic drop until Broly spoke up.

"I want to go," Broly said, coming to a stop and nearly pulled off Prince Tarble's cape. "I should go."

"No," Prince Tarble refused flatly without any hesitation. Broly opened his mouth to protest, but Prince Tarble continued. "You're not ready for that battlefield. Not yet. It's going to be unlike anything you've seen so far. A thousand times worse," he warned flatly with a small shake of his head. "You aren't ready for that. Neither is Elery, or Kakarot, or any of the other kids. For now, you leave that battlefield to us. Until you're ready."

"But you're a kid too and I'm older than you," Broly pouted, sounding like he accepted that he lost the argument but wanted to get the last word in. And it was a surprise to Narra that Broly was the elder of the two. But Narra had heard that Prince Tarble was regarded as a freak of nature by his own people. Unlike most races, that term was a compliment.

"And I'm the commander," Prince Tarble returned before he resumed walking. They traveled in silence through the halls. Instead of taking them to the research bay that had been set up for the scientists of the 501st, Prince Tarble led them to a command deck. One that was sparsely populated - there was the Captain of the 501st, who was named Avery and Technician, an alien that acted something akin to a tutor to Prince Tarble.

"What's on your arm?" Prince Tarble asked, looking at Avery, who wasted no time showing off a marking on his arm. His skin was as dark as the void, so the stark white numbers stood out that much more. Three numbers - 501

"A tattoo. All of us in the old guard are getting them. To stand out amongst the fresh blood," he explained, nodding at her. "No offense," Avery offered, as if she would be. If anything, Narra was confused. She couldn't understand wanting to permanently mark yourself for something like the 501st. To take pride in it. But, Avery was not a member of her race and he had been a part of the 501st much longer than she.

"Hm," was all Prince Tarble said, but there was a faint grin tugging at the edges of his lips. He turned to Technician, "Is everything ready on your end?" He asked, his tone serious.

Technician nodded, making Narra's hopes fall that the delay in the invasion couldn't be put off. "I am. Their codes have been cracked, and I'm confident that it'll work. If only because they'll never see it coming," he remarked. And, at the very least, Narra had to give him that. Prince Tarble's plan was insanity given form. The Reach would never consider it a possibility, thus they wouldn't prepare for it.

"Good. Then we'll proceed with our plans," Prince Tarble decided with a nod to himself. "Avery, you'll be in command of a third of the 501st, I'll take another third and Mom will lead the last third. Likewise, my Team will be divided up into thirds to go with you - Fasha and Matillo with me, Borgos and Shugesh with you while Parslee and Tora will be with Mom." An expression of apprehension passed over Avery's face, "Don't worry. Mom won't throw lives away."

Avery didn't look very reassured, "Sir, I've fought under Queen Teach." He said grimly, and after a moment, it was clear that was all he thought he had to say. Narra shifted, placing herself between Prince Tarble and Nakka. Narra didn't claim to understand Saiyan families, but there seemed to be genuine love between mother and son - proving that even monsters had someone that loved them. Meaning that Narra didn't expect Prince Tarble to react well to the slight.

"I'll talk to Mom about putting Tora in charge of the forces. She'll probably want to pass off the troops so she can indulge in the fight," Prince Tarble admitted to them, surprising her. Because, quite often, love made one blind to their faults.

"Are you sure you want me to continue being the Captain of the 501st?" Avery continued, his tone serious. Telling her that the question had been on his mind longer than just now. Which prompted Technician to nod as well.

"The pool of recruits you have selected is incredibly talented. I have spied several candidates that would make a suitable replacement for my position as head of Tech Support," Technician seconded. Narra wondered if she should follow it up with recommending that Prince Tarble find someone else for Magic Support, but need held her tongue before she could voice her desire.

As the Night Mother, or the head of Magic Support, she had some control over the situations that her sisters would find themselves in. Prince Tarble granted a fair deal of autonomy, so long as results were delivered. If she stepped down, like she wanted to, then her few sisters would be put in harm's way. Simply because the next head would likely be of a different race and prioritize the safety of members of their own race.

"Maybe," Prince Tarble allowed, "but I don't trust them. Avery, I know you'll get whatever mission I give you done with as few casualties as possible. I don't know the new recruits well enough to say that any of them would do the same." He said before he turned to Technician, "Just like how I know you'll get whatever task I give you done and you've proven repeatedly that you deserve your position. Both of you do."

Avery shifted, scratching at the back of his neck. "Well, when you put it like that…" He muttered, not sounding displeased with the praise. Technician chuckled as well.

Narra felt like an outsider. A stranger amongst friends. But that was to be expected. Avery and Technician had earned their positions, whatever they might be. She?

Her compliance was secured with leverage. Her sisters. Nakka. Until Narra found a way to save all of her sisters, and those few left on her planet, she was stuck obeying whatever order Prince Tarble gave. No matter how much it galled her, or went against their teachings. Narra would obey because if she didn't, if she tried to flee, then others would pay the price.

"So that's the last I'll hear about either of you trying to get yourselves replaced, got it?" Prince Tarble warned with a soft smile in his voice. A smile that hardened when he brought up a hologram of the Shield World that they would be attacking.

"If everything's ready, then we hit it tomorrow."

* * *

"We should be doing something," Hal Jordan muttered to himself as reports of the War that everyone in the galaxy seemed to watch with bated breath. A war between giants. The Reach and the Trade Organization. For six years they had been slugging each other in the face nonstop with the Reach taking more hits from the Trade Organization as they were pushed back on nearly all fronts.

Countless feeds from news sources from various alien races scrolled through a hologram that was emitted from his deep green Power Ring, all of them automatically translated to English. All of them saying more or less the same thing - the war was stalling. The Trade Organization hadn't made a significant push since Frieza blew through a Reach Shield World like it wasn't even there. Apparently that was of some Koter Ve'sk, a Reach noble that was proving to be an iron wall that kept the Trade Organization out.

"I should be doing something," Hal whispered to himself, his hand curling into a fist. He floated above Coast City, his home. He never paid half as much attention to politics of earth, but then again, Earth wasn't embroiled in a massive war that made the world wars look like a drunken punchup.

In both world wars, a hundred million people died. Total. An incomprehensible number of people. Hal couldn't imagine just how large of a crowd that would be if a hundred million people were standing in one place.

And that number, that impossibly huge number of losses over the course of years in two brutal wars that shaped mankind… that was a battle for the Reach-Trade Organization war. Compared to some battles that waged across the fronts, it wouldn't even be considered a big battle. Worse, entire species were butchered and slaughtered until they were driven extinct. The worlds ravaged and poisoned until they were inhospitable to all life, reduced to barren wastelands. The sheer scale of the war boggled his mind.

Though, not as much as the Guardian's standing order. Any Green Lanterns that enter Trade Organization or Reach controlled space will immediately be stripped of their ring.

As if to taunt him, a clip played on one of the news feeds. Of a Green Lantern dying. Her bubble shield winking out. Not overpowered or pierced. Just turned off. Like flipping a switch. Her shield disappeared, a blast of energy punching through her chest and the camera panned to look up at a half-dead child. Prince Tarble of Planet Vegeta.

Hal hadn't known Kaylark. She died before he had joined the Corps. Died defying orders.

Orders that Hal was considering defying as well. Doing the right thing had cost him more than once, but he never flinched at the cost. If he had a chance to do it all over again, he wouldn't change a single thing. And, no matter how he looked at it, something had to be done. What was even the point of wearing the ring if he was going to look the other way when billions of lives were being lost? When entire species were driven extinct?

Hal took in a slow breath, a green glow covering him from head to toe as he flew through Earth's atmosphere. He punched through the clouds, flying higher than he ever had before in an aircraft as a test pilot. Once he drifted away, he turned back to look at the blue planet he called home. In the past few years, Hal saw it more times than he could count but that few never got old.

"Oh boy, in actually doing this," he muttered to himself, his ring generating an aura that let him hear himself speak. He said his goodbyes, in his own way and he felt the planet in good hands. Guy Gardner was… very… himself, but he was a good man. And that Superman guy seemed the decent sort. Earth would be fine without it.

"Take me to just outside the Seranus System, Sector 1643," Hal ordered his ring. Just outside of the Trade Organization controlled space. It was a small window-

"Poozer," Kilowog's voice suddenly spoke up through his ring, a hologram of Kilowog appeared. A light pink alien with a strong jaw, lacking lips, and a nose with ridges at his forehead that served as ears. His eyes seemed to stare in his soul and Hal knew right then that he was caught before he could even start. "Ya really think you're the first with that idea?"

Hal's lips thinned as he glared at his… friend. "Well, if everyone's thinking of it then it has to be a good mind. Great minds think alike," Hal admitted his guilt with no shame. The plan was to FTL right outside of Trade Organization controlled space, fly to the front of the war and do what he could before his ring was shut off. Rescue as many slaves of the Trade Organization and citizens of the Reach as possible.

It would cost him his ring and maybe his life but for possibly millions of lives?

If he wasn't willing to make that sacrifice then he wasn't worthy of the ring on his finger.

"No, that just makes you all predictable," Kilowog argued. Then he let out a small sigh. "Us," he corrected. "I figured if I tried it, then you would too without a doubt. Only surprised that it took you this long."

So, even Kilowog felt the need to do something? And the Guardians were still telling them to keep their noses out of it.

"I have to do something, Kilowog." Hal stated firmly, "We have to do something about the war. Just… something. Anything's better than sitting on our hands and pretending that billions of people aren't dying as we look the other way."

"You're… hmph, preaching to the choir, poozer. But we both know it isn't as simple as that," Kilowog pointed out.

"It is," Hal argued right back. "And you can't talk me out of doing something about it," he told him, reaffirming his decision.

"I said the same thing," Kilowog cut him short. "Except I took my complaints to the Guardians," he continued, making Hal's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. That was very… Kilowog of him. And Hal couldn't say that he didn't like his style.

Kilowog looked thoughtful for a few seconds, "They're saying that this is going to escalate. The war. The Thangarians are marshaling, and they're not listening to reason. Can't say that I blame them either. Frieza is breathing down their necks and the Guardians aren't confronting him. Once they throw their forces in the mix, then the dam is going to break Hal."

"All the more reason to do something about it now," Hal answered, just hearing more reasons to intervene. "We take down the Cold family and the Trade Organization is toothless. We come at them in force then we can put an end to this before it escalates."

"Except Sinestro is being backed by Frieza," Kilowog informed and that was a gut punch that he hadn't been expecting. Sinestro. A friend, someone that he had respected - that everyone had respected - and the man that had shown him the ropes. A great man who turned out to be a petty tyrant and had all but enslaved his own home planet with the power of his ring.

That betrayal was still rather fresh.

"Still not hearing a reason to not go," Hal remarked. If anything, that was another reason on the list. He could save millions of lives and punch Sinestro in the face a few times along the way.

In response to that, Kilowog sent him a video file that Hal opened. Sinestro looked as well as he ever did, but the only change Hal saw was that he was wearing yellow. "So, he switched up his look a bit?" What was the big deal here? If Sinestro was being backed by Frieza that was just more reason to take the fight to them. Sinestro had been one of theirs, and so it fell to them to make sure he spent the rest of his life in a prison cell.

"Apparently Power Rings don't just come in green," Kilowog started, his tone adopting a lecturing quality to it that Hal recognized. "He's wearing a yellow Power Ring, and instead of will it's powered by fear." And that fit Sinestro all too well. Honestly, he should have seen it by the name. "He's building his own Corps with the help of Frieza. We don't know how many they are yet, but with the Trade Organization's help I can't imagine they're lacking."

Okay. So that was a thing. A bad thing.

"Kilowog, if that's the case then we have to do something now-" Hal started impatiently. He didn't like the sound of Sinestro having his own Corps that was powered by fear. Before he was kicked out of the Lanterns, Sinestro had been one of their best. Hal knew that and he had only been in the Green Lanterns for a few short years.

He also knew that Sinestro was the kind of guy that held a grudge.

"Pooser," Kilowog growled, this time the term of endearment sounded a lot like an insult. "Sinestro is going to be gunning for us. We do anything to the Reach or the Trade Organization? They're going to team up to take us down and with a Sinestro Corps helping them out, they'll win that fight. That's just how it is. I'd put money on us against the Reach or the Trade Organization or the Sinestro Corps in a fight any day of the week. All three at once?"

"We lose? Then the universe falls apart." Kilowog stated, listing out the reasons of the Guardians. They made sense and Hal hated it. Given how he got his ring, it was all too clear to him that Green Lanterns weren't as invincible as anyone would want them to be.

And he could see where this was going, "So, what, the Thangarian's throw their hat in the race and we get allies in the war?" That rubbed him the wrong way. He could see the logic and it was probably the smart move, but it left a bad taste in Hal's mouth. Letting billions of people die so the Lanterns could bide their time. It felt like it was the exact opposite of what they should be doing.

"Their hat and once they do, plenty of other hats are going to get tossed in too. Especially after we throw ours in," Kilowog responded cooly. "Hal, I get it. I do. There isn't a Green Lantern that likes this, but… we have to trust that the Guardian's know what's best."

Hal clenched his jaw, looking for an argument that would put him in the right. To make his rash action the undeniable right thing to do. But he saw the writing on the wall. If the Green Lanterns were forced to deal with the Sinestro Corps, then the Green Lanterns would need every Lantern that they could get.

"Things are going to get way worse before they get better," Hal stated, feeling something heavy settle heavily on his shoulders.

"They always do," Kilowog responded, the hologram staring at him for a moment instead of ending the call, his beady black eyes staring into his soul. By now, Hal guessed it might have been obvious. Kilowog confirmed that by letting out a grunt and said, "You're still going to go, aren't you?"

Hal offered a smile instead of an apology. He didn't have it in him to do nothing. He couldn't save everyone, but he could save enough that it was worth it to lose his ring. Even his life.

Probation Status has been put into effect His ring informed, earning a blink from Hal as suddenly he found himself flung back towards the surface of Earth, his ring ignoring his demands for it to turn around or stop. He punched through the atmosphere, raced towards the ground, and right before he slammed into the roof of his apartment building his ring slowed.

"Probation status?" He asked, lowering himself to the ground since the ring had given him back control. But he already knew what it meant.

Certain actions have been suspended from your ring, the terms of your probation are the following: FTL travel is unavailable except to Oa, planets in your sector, and responding to distress calls. Information blackout regarding the Reach-Trade Organization war. All communications will be monitored and recorded. Any breach of Green Lantern conduct will result in the immediate loss of your ring

Hal stared down at the ring he spent the past few years with, and instead of pride…

He felt betrayed.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	46. Sounds of War

"You know your squads, you know your objectives, and you know what to do," Avery spoke calmly through the speakers of everyone in the 501st. Prince Tarble, as capable of a leader as he was, undervalued the effect of a speech. Just a few words to get the soldier's heads in the game. "Look out for the squads on your left and your right and we'll all return from this mission. Prince Tarble picked you all personally because he thought you were the kinds of badasses that can crack a Shield World. Let's see if he was right."

Cator, an old friend, thumped him on the back as Avery concluded his speech. There was some clapping behind him in the sizable shuttle with enough room for just over a thousand soldiers. There were a few shouts, giving him shit but Avery just stared ahead, looking at the bulkhead doors that would turn into a ramp. He tried to picture what the planet would look like on the other side, trying to imagine the battle that would be waged.

Avery had fought for the Cold-force, now Frieza-force, for near two hundred years. The short years he had fought under Queen Teach had been the bloodiest. To the point that Avery stopped bothering to remember names and each mission he expected that he would be dead by the end of it. With her, Avery learned to expect a meat grinder. With Prince Tarble, Avery found that he didn't know what to expect. Even when Prince Tarble had shaped the plan with their help over two years, Avery felt like he had no idea what he was walking into.

"Do you think they'll perform?" Cator questioned quietly, standing behind him as he clutched his laser rifle like it was his firstborn child. It was top of the line tech that the entire unit was outfitted with, at least those that used guns, but Cator improved his to the point that any planet with a legal system would have banned the weapon.

Avery saw one of the new recruits shift where they stood, pretending that she wasn't listening. Avery didn't know her species, but she had the ability to make two copies of herself - complete with duplicating the tech and weapons she wore. He had her assigned to his personal squad.

"They had better. Otherwise, we're all dead," Avery responded, watching her stiffen at the news. Cator let out a small huff, at that, not believing him for a second.

"Eh, I doubt that. Prince Tarble is getting crazily strong. I bet he could bail us out himself like he did last time," Cator dismissed. Avery didn't feel the need to tell him that he had been quoting Prince Tarble.

"Like last time?" The new recruit asked, deciding to stop pretending that she hadn't been listening. Despite the growing tension in the ship as they all waited for the door to open, Cator, in a loud boisterous voice, explained why exactly they placed so much trust in Prince Tarble. Enough trust that they went along with this utterly insane plan.

"About two years ago, we took out a production planet called Rench. But we got stranded there when our fleet had to bail out. That's not important - what is, though, is that Prince Tarble figured out that the Reach was gearing up to wipe us out. So, get this, Prince Tarble fought the entire planet solo," Cator said, earning a few cheers from the other members of the Old Guard 501st. "Hundreds of Scarabs, entire armies with a grand fleet firing down at him. And he wrecked their shit for hours."

Cator was exaggerating, but not by much.

"You're full of shit," Vas spoke up, a troublemaker even amongst the notable troublemakers. "I'll give it to you that the pipsqueak is a tough nut, but I've seen production worlds. No one is fighting that alone."

Cator just smiled, "Oh, not only did he fight them, but he did it while fighting a Champion Class Scarab. Ended up killing it too with this massive attack that punched a hole through the fleet's defensive line in orbit. While cut in half."

"Yeah, you're full of it," the first recruit, Canda if Avery recalled correctly, seconded, earning a chuckle from him. He preferred silence before a battle, but this wasn't so bad either, Avery thought to himself.

"Am not! Avery, you were there, back me up," Cator demanded.

"He wasn't cut in half," Avery, making both women shoot Cator smug looks. It was amazing that no matter what species the fairer gender all possessed that Look, almost as if it were a universal constant. "Just mostly cut in half. About… eighty percent, or so. Wait- his shoulder was cut up to, so make that ninety percent. I've seen the scars."

Vas made a face. It was no secret that she wanted to take a shot at Prince Tarble. It was just a matter of when. "Scars?" She questioned, looking to poke a hole in his story.

"Saiyans like their scars," Avery explained with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't really get it, but he never fought anything that could give him a scar in the first place. "They'll heal the muscle beneath, but they always leave the surface damage. It's a pride thing. Showing off that they lived in a fight against something strong enough to give them a scar. The deadlier the wound, the prouder they are."

The one that cut Prince Tarble's torso nearly in half was a nasty one. By the time he hit his adolescence, or whenever he became interested in women, Avery had credits that Prince Tarble was going to start going shirtless. Like a woman's Look, guys doing stupid shit to impress a girl was also a universal constant.

Before Vas or anyone else could make a comment, the red light that washed over the shuttle suddenly flashed green. Any trace of the good cheer and chatter vanished without a second. Avery's grip on his gun tightened, every muscle in his body tensing before he sprung forward, moving before the gate had even opened.

The fliers moved out first, but he was the first foot on the ground of the 501st, sprinting down the rampart as he took in the battle. The saiyans and a few others had flown outside of the shuttles to make sure that they had landed, so the Shield World was already a battleground. There wasn't a speck of green to be found anywhere, and the full gray planet was designed for battle. Systematic cover, chokepoints, sniper perches, and places that offered cover for heavy artillery.

A space elevator dominated the skyline. One of the few things that were taller than a few stories. The gravity was light, slightly less than the galactic standard, so the elevator was oddly slender compared to the ones back on Rench. The sky was golden, but not naturally. The energy shield that was meant to keep out invaders was up, giving the sky a segmented appearance. But all of it paled in comparison to the fight that raged in the distance - Scarabs flooded towards their position, more than Avery ever wanted to see in a single location, but the reactionary wave was held back by Prince Tarble and his mother.

That fight was beyond him. Not that it mattered because he had a mission to accomplish.

"On me," Avery spoke to the three thousand soldiers under his direct command. "Our target is the space elevator. We punch through everything that tries to get in our way!" Avery shouted as he pushed up to cover, pointed his rifle, and spotted the first enemy combatant. The Saiyans were major attention grabbers, so the Reach troops scrambled to react, and they paid for it with their lives.

Avery's gun bucked against his shoulder, his railgun firing an electromagnetic slug that punched right through the energy shield to the Reach soldier, painting the two soldiers next to him with his blood. They recoiled, horrified, and not a second later Avery's shoulder slipped back into its socket and he fired again. This time, he reduced an enemy's head to a fine mist.

"Twenty-two, push up hard to the right! Vas, lay down covering fire," Avery ordered as he advanced the line. In response, the fliers circled overhead. Vas, for all of her attitude, proved that she could follow orders. Lightning gathered on her hands before she dropped the mother of all lightning bolts on an enemy squad position and reduced them to nothing. Letting the twenty-second unit advance with little trouble.

The three thousand troops were divided into a hundred man units with the last ten being specialized units. Fliers, magic users, and tech support. 20-25 were tech support, with 26-30 being magic support, and Prince Tarble had prepared well for the invasion. The twenty-second unit took up a flank, and liquid metal surged into the shape of a massive gun that laid waste to the enemy before the 501st. Avery continued to advance, spearheading the approach, his arm dislocating for a split second each time he pulled the trigger, and while he was no Saiyan, he had adapted to that pain decades ago.

"Twenty-six, hot-drop!" Avery ordered as his unit punched through the Reach line like they were barely there. The element of surprise, their tech, and their diverse soldiers paved the way towards the space elevator that was little more than a hundred clicks out. In response to his words, a bright green flame appeared before him and Avery jumped through it, landing behind an enemy squad. They didn't notice him, or his personal five, or seven, squad until they were all dead.

Avery could feel the flow of battle in a way that only a grunt could. He felt where their advancing flow was being held back by a stone of the Reach's defense, and as the commander, it was his job to remove those stones.

"Scout, Scout, Scout!" Cator shouted, "North-East, three-fifty!" Instantly, Avery's gaze darted to the Scout class Scarab. It wouldn't even be a warm-up for a Saiyan, but that Scout was an army killer for grunts like him.

"Vas! I got a gift for you!" Avery shouted, watching as a bolt of lightning slammed into the Scout, causing an explosion. The Scarab wasn't dead, missiles streaking out of its backpack as it formed a plasma gun with what was left of its chest and its remaining arm. Lightning detonated the missiles before they struck anyone, making those black holes form, but the Scarab got a shot off. A massive torrent of plasma the size of his body raced towards his squad's position and, for a second, it was all that Avery could see.

Then a green flame appeared between them, so close that they could touch, but when the plasma should have washed over him, it instead flowed through the hole in space.

"I owe you Narra," Avery said, barely pausing as his fraction of the 501st continued their mad blitz towards the space elevator. Blasts of lasers flashed through the air, his sky units doing good work from above. In the background, he noticed something beyond the field of battle. Streaks of light that marked the sky as small dots lined up with the segmented golden sky.

Predictably, Narra didn't respond. She didn't seem to do well with thank yous. But, all the same, Avery resolved to buy her a stiff drink provided that they both survive.

Avery's shoulder slammed into cover as he was forced to stop for the first time since the invasion kicked off. A flash of light seemed to glow brightly in the distance, prompting Avery to shout, "Get down! Shockwave!" His squad ducked beneath the same cover that he did. An explosion seemed to rock the planet all the way down to its core, the shockwave hitting them a few seconds later. It was like someone shot a gun by his ear while punching him directly in the stomach, but other than that Avery was fine. The others suffered worse but not as bad as they would have standing in the open.

"Advance!" Avery shouted, standing up and lining up his shots. The railgun bucked against his shoulder, each time he pulled the trigger an enemy alien died. Lightning and ice from an ice flying alien washed over the enemy's defensive positions. Using his scouter, Avery judged the distance between them and the space elevator. Less than ten miles out. They needed to get closer.

"Twelve, terrain denial," Avery shouted, seeing a fire alien press his hands to the ground and the synthetic hard plastic melted, reduced to goo as the heat spread forward. Avery heard aliens scream as they were caught in the melted sludge, burning to death. Having been set on fire more than once, Avery took aim with his rifle as he rushed forward to seize the opening and fired mercy at the burning enemy.

The orders flowed from his mouth like water, clearing the stones from their path. Yet, as the enemy reacted, more stones appeared until it felt as if their assault had slowed to a crawl. Lasers pinged off his energy shield, a HUD on his scouter telling him their status. Avery accepted the shots, releasing devastation in return and butchered the enemy before him. The Reach aircraft deployed, tying up his fliers and a portion of his support. The numbers of defenders grew more numerous as the Reach deployed in full.

Despite their initial success, they were fighting to take a Shield World. There were billions on this planet, all combatants, all willing to defend it until their final breath.

The space between them was filled with laser and plasma fire, so thick that without his energy shield, not even Avery would dare to stick his head up. His railgun bucked, punching through cover as he had pyro to continuously deny it to the enemy. Despite the Reach numbers, the 501st continued to advance. Only their progress was now measured in inches as they felt the full weight of the Reach start to press down on them from all sides.

In the distance, Avery saw Prince Tarble fight a horde of Scarabs. Vanguard and three Champion Scarabs leading the way. A dozen of them clumped together as Prince Tarble darted around, moving at speeds Avery didn't even try to follow, forming an utterly massive plasma cannon that was aimed at the Prince. It fired a torrent of plasma and despite being so far away, Avery would swear that he felt the heat of it warm his face.

Prince Tarble barely paid it any mind, a Riot Javelin forming in his hand before he launched it at the sky scrapper sized torrent of dark blue plasma. Despite only being a drop in what should be an ocean, the torrent of plasma exploded outward as the Riot Javelin surged forward. The plasma splashed outward, landing on cover and soldiers alike, some of it splashing so far that Avery watched it vaporize a squad he had been aiming at. Then the Riot Javelin slammed home into the barrel of the massive plasma gun and an equally massive explosion rang out.

Avery ducked underneath his cover, feeling the heat and the shockwave washing over their position. While he was down, he heard Cator chuckling before he elbowed Canda.

"About that story, I told ya? The thing I didn't mention was that Prince Tarble is more than twice as strong than when he held off every Scarab on Rench," Cator pointed out while Canda looked stunned three times over with her identical clones.

Saiyans were on another level, Avery silently agreed. Most of them boasted that their species were the ultimate warriors of the universe, something that every warrior race said about themselves… the only difference was that Avery actually believed the Saiyans.

As if to prove his point, Queen Teach flew overhead. As a very learned response, Avery took cover while shouting, "Support, cover!" Green fire washed over Avery's squad while technological shields protected the other three thousand members of the 501st were protected from a massive ki blast that washed over the Reach's position. With casual ease, Queen Teach punched a hole right through the Reach defensive line. And she did it without any friendly fire. This time.

"Thank you for the assist," Avery said, forcing himself to be polite. The Queen, Prince Tarble's mother… had probably killed more of his men, his friends, than the Reach had at this point. She had mellowed out since Elery entered the picture, but Avery didn't have it in him to forgive her. "But shouldn't you be helping Prince Tarble?"

Said Prince threw himself into battle against countless Scarabs, drawing their attention because he was easily the biggest threat. Or, so they thought.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Tarble has gotten pretty strong, so it's been a challenge to find anything that can push him to his limits. I figured I should let him enjoy himself," Queen Teach dismissed as she casually fired another ki blast that wiped out an entire division of Reach soldiers, letting the 501st punch through fast enough that if they stopped that they would be surrounded.

Avery knew, for a Saiyan, that was probably the ultimate expression of love. Letting them have the most dangerous fights. It screamed utterly backward to him, but aliens were weird.

"You-" Narra's voice spoke up before she cut herself off, apparently not realizing that she was directly connected to a private channel as a leader of a division.

"I what?" Queen Teach questioned, firing yet another ki blast with an almost lazy gesture as she flew above them. Saiyans really were on a completely different level. Above the screams, fire, and death of soldiers below. Explosions echoed in Avery's ears, screams of the dying, and weapon fire serving as a tempo. A familiar melody to him at this point.

"You enjoy this," Narra accused, hate coloring her tone. Despite himself, Avery glanced over to Narra's position - overseeing a gentle slope that allowed her unit to get a good view of the battlefield. Avery grit his teeth and hoped that they weren't about to lose their magic support.

Queen Teach let out a laugh as she switched to an open channel. She might hate her husband for grandstanding, but it seemed that she had a taste for it as well. Ki flowed to her hands as she flew above the battlefield, an open challenge for any to take a shot at her.

"You aliens don't get it," Queen Teach exclaimed as she casually threw a ki blast that exploded some distance away, wiping out a Reach armored division. And before the shockwave and flash had faded, another ki blast floated above her palm. "Our race, the Saiyan race… we aren't like you. We have no afterlife, and our God is a level of strength that every Saiyan hopes to one day obtain."

Queen Teach let out another chuckling laugh, "This? This right here? If we had a place called Heaven, then this is what it would look like!" To punctuate her point, Queen Teach fired a beam of ki that laid waste to the enemy, the Reach vanishing like smoke in the wind underneath the stream of ki. "If I could change anything about it at all, I would be fighting against all of you to get a bit of diversity in my opponents!"

This was why Avery had little trouble believing that the Saiyans truly were the ultimate warriors of the universe. They might not be the strongest race, but never before, not once in all of his centuries of being a soldier, had he ever encountered a race that loved the idea of war so much. That craved conflict so desperately. For monsters like Frieza or the Reach, war and violence were a side product to get a reward. For Saiyans? War was the reward.

Even Prince Tarble, as level headed and collected as he was… Avery had no doubt in his mind that there was a savage smile on his face as he fought against dozens of Scarabs.

Avery put the thought out of his mind as his soldiers reached the space elevator. His shoulder slammed into cover, flanking the door while Cator took the other side of a massive bulkhead door. "We are in position! Technician, follow up. Designated squads, breach in 3… 2… 1… Breach!" Avery shouted as Vas let loose a blast of electricity that punched right through the bulkhead door.

"I'll make sure none of my boy's troops kick the bucket," Queen Teach informed them and Avery didn't know if he felt thankful or worried as he entered the space elevator. He took point, Vas floating above to deliver electric devastation onto the soldiers that got in their way, Canda and Cator covering the flanks while Technician bought up the rear. "He has high expectations for you all. So you'd better meet them."

"That woman is scary," Canda muttered more to herself than to the squad as they made a rapid advancement through the hallway. Defensive turrets poked their heads out to take potshots at them, the occasional shot pinging off their energy shields while they more than returned what they took in damage.

The stench of burnt corpses, metal and, plastic-filled Avery's nose. A familiar stench that he never quite managed to go nose blind to. His railgun continuously bucked against his shoulder as they sprinted through the hallway, moving like a rapidly advancing wall of gunfire.

"She's actually mellowed out considerably," Technician remarked, echoing an earlier thought. So he wasn't the only one that noticed. "Or, rather, she holds back because she knows Prince Tarble would disapprove. Left," Technician called out, his face practically buried in a hologram. Their squad turned left, plasma washing over Avery's shield.

His energy shield stopped the plasma's kinetic force, making it wash over him, but the ambient heat was enough to flash burn his skin. Another familiar wound to him. He was just glad that he was the one that took it instead of the others.

"Grenade!" Cator shouted, and a moment later the torrent of plasma ceased, letting his skin heal over from the burns. Avery saw the damage - like someone had taken an eraser and wiped away a small circle. A blackhole grenade. Another gift from Rench, a mission that just kept on giving. "Avery, get your ass up!" Cator continued, grabbing him by his arm and hauling him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Canda questioned, three of her faces looking worried.

"Regenerator," Avery dismissed the concern, tasting charcoal as they continued running down the hallway, his armor glowing a bit from the cooling heat. "Tech, how far are we?" Avery asked, taking aim with his railgun at a squad of Reach soldiers. They were dug in, just not prepared for a massive lightning bolt that slammed into their cover. Before they had even realized what happened, they were dead and his squad continued down the hall.

"Not far - a node is near," Technician said as the came upon a fork in the road. "Right," he explained. This time, far more carefully, Avery rounded the corner and prefired. One shot tore through an alien, destroying his plasma gun and his arm. The ensuing explosion knocked the rest of the squad on their ass in the compact hallway, letting Canda fire at the exposed soldiers. With three guns firing in perfect unison, she made quick work of them.

"It's here!" Technician exclaimed suddenly, coming to a stop, looking at a random panel on the wall. He wasted no time waking forward and placing a small device on the wall. A moment later, the metal of the wall became translucent, revealing a hub of wires and circuitry.

"What's here? What are we doing, exactly? I thought we were here to kill as many Reach aliens as we could?" Vas asked, lightning cackling at her hands as she took up a position facing one end of the hallway.

Avery tapped a button on his belt and the belt itself surged forward. Metal flowed over the ground, expanding and shaping itself until it settled on a WW shape. The high points touched the ceiling, while the low were low enough that they could jump over them. More importantly, it gave him and Canda some cover from the shots that the Reach were sending them.

Reach soldiers took up position down the hall, using hardlight shielding to give them some cover. Just not hard enough to stand up to his railgun.

"I'm uploading a virus into the Reach's systems," Technician answered as his hands moved in blurs, typing out commands.

"Won't the Reach be all over shutting you out?" Vas questioned, almost sounding bored as she and Cator held up the other send, using the portable cover.

"Oh, they are. Except that they're defending all of the wrong targets," Technician explained, a savage smile in his voice. Avery didn't know the story, but Technician seemed to take personal pleasure in ruining the Reach's day. "They're keeping me out of arsenals, production centers, food and water sources. Everything that they would need for a drawn-out siege."

Vas fired off a massive bolt of electricity at the Reach troops, vaporizing them. "If you're not hitting those targets, then what are you hitting?"

"And ruin the surprise? You'll see soon enough," Technician responded, glee in his voice as he locked the Reach out of their own systems. Doing things this way had its own share of problems simply because the Reach having those things like endless supplies, or production centers deep within the planet to turn out more crap for them to destroy.

"It's done," Technician said, taking a step back and retrieving the device. "They're not getting past that firewall, and if they ever do, it'll be far too late."

"Too late for what?" Vas insisted over the sound of gunfire. If Technician answered then Avery didn't hear it in favor of tapping down on his scouter.

"The primary objective has been completed," He informed all the squads that were in range. A dozen or so that were in the space elevator with them. "How's the secondary coming?"

"Charges are in place," several squads reported instantly. Enough to complete the secondary objective. One squad didn't report in at all.

"Begin extraction," Avery ordered, pressing his belt buckle again as the cover began to shift. The cover behind them capped off the hallway, making it so that they only had to worry about one direction. Vas cleared the way with a lighting blast that clouded over the hallway with smoke, masking their rapid retreat.

Bodies on top of bodies piled up as his squad withdrew from the space elevator, but getting out was easier than getting in. Before long, his entire squad withdrew from the building, walking into a battlefield that was waged outside. His 501st drew up a defensive perimeter around the space elevator, preventing reinforcements.

In the minutes that he had been inside, booths sides dug in and it became a slugging match between the two sides. The Reach undeniably had the numerical advantage, likely a million to one. The 501st, however, had plenty of soldiers that were worth a million Reach soldiers.

"The bombs are in place - Narra, begin extraction," Avery ordered. In response, green flames appeared before every soldier, spreading until they were all connected. On the other side of the flames was the army that belonged to Queen Teach. A portion of it, rather, that was teleported here not long after the 501st landed to secure a foothold. The 501st wasted no time rushing through the green fire towards relative safety. Avery, and his squad, were the last ones to rush through.

The Reach flooded over the abandoned defenses, like water over an overfilled cup. Avery watched them for a moment, waiting for them to damn themselves, then he pressed down on the detonator. The charges in the space elevator fired off, the blackhole explosives deleting the structures supports while the power systems overloaded. Before they could be killed in the following collapse, Avery stepped forward through the flames and arrived inside the foothold.

Turning around, he watched the space elevator collapse in itself, the rubble and dust cloud washing over the thousands at the base. Thousands fewer that they would have to deal with. Only a few billion left.

But, the job wasn't done. Not yet. The hundreds of thousands of Frieza-force soldiers dug themselves in, repelling the Reach reactionary force. The sounds of war echoed in Avery's ears as the 501st rejoined and reinforced the fight. Here, they would dig in and hold out until the Reach exhausted themselves. Then, they would move on the offensive.

"Vas, look up," Avery ordered, prepping his rail gun as he marched forward to rejoin the fight. Vas obeyed, and even Avery glanced up to see the light show. The segmented sky of Reach satellites slowly melted away to become a solid golden sky as millions of satellites activated. Frieza-force satellites.

The same golden color as the shields that were meant to protect the Shield World from damage. Avey didn't claim to know what they were, but anything short of Frieza wasn't going to get past them. And now, that same shield that was pointed outward was now pointing inward.

"What…?" Vas trailed off, not understanding what she was looking at.

"We usurped their control of the planetary shield network that was meant to prevent invasion. Because of that, the Reach thought it was of little importance, making it a rather undefended target. Now, not even the Reach ships can get in to reinforce the planetary armies with orbital bombardments," Technician explained and Avery smirked as realization dawned on Vas.

"With that secondary network pointed inward, the defense shield serves as a cage. To quote Prince Tarble, 'The Reach will be trapped inside the cage with us.' Avery quoted, a pleased grin on his face as his shoulder hit cover.

With neither side with anywhere to run, it was going to become a slugging match. Billions against a million.

But, despite every odd, Avery liked their chances.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	47. Sounds of the Soul

"What have I created?" Narra softly asked herself as bile rose in the back of her throat, the atrocious spell that she crafted solely took shape before her eyes. Just over a dozen of her sisters sat in a circle, their hands interlocked as their lips moved, uttering the words of a spell. Ancient words, the spoken word of their home planet, and she mangled them. Twisting those beautiful, breathtaking words, into something hideous. Something that went against their very nature… the words, the spell, the only word Narra could think to describe it was evil.

The cage glowed brightly overhead, a bright segmented gold. But to her eyes, the sky carried a green tinge. Her people's runes were inscribed into each satellite, forming a secondary cage, but its purpose was far more sinister. The satellites prevented any thought of retreat or reinforcements, but the cage she had crafted under the orders of Prince Tarble? It prevented souls of the departed from leaving this plane of existence. From finding peace in the afterlife. From moving on.

A cage to disrupt the natural cycle of life and death.

A child had thought of this hellish, vile spell. And she had no choice but to obey. Only now, looking at what her deeds had wrought, and knowing that the worst had yet to come, Narra felt despair grip her heart.

Souls of the dead drifted downward towards the green flame that hovered above her sisters. A green flame without warmth or heat. A flame as cold as death itself. The tormented souls of the departed screamed their anguish, their confusion, fear, and anger - the sounds of their horror was almost enough to deafen her to the sounds of war. Simply because the souls of the departed, their spirits were drawn to the flame. And once they grew too close, the flame claimed them, using their immortal soul as kindling to power the spell.

They screamed in pain, the screeching sound piercing her eardrums, but all the same, Narra maintained her part of the spell unflinchingly. Even as thousands of souls were lost for eternity, forever denied their afterlife, and used much like a log for a fire. Enemy and ally alike were claimed by the ever-growing flame, and if there had to be a silver lining it was that most were in a state of madness from their recent deaths.

Narra swallowed thickly, pretending that she was braver than she was. And all the while she wondered what Mother, the previous Night Mother, would say if she could see her now. Nothing good, Narra imagined. "Prince Tarble, the spell is ready," Narra informed the Prince. A six-year-old child.

Months later and she still didn't understand how a spell meant to destroy evil failed to harm the Saiyans.

"Good. Withdrawing to base now. Have your people set up the shield," Prince Tarble ordered, his voice terrifyingly calm. The Wrath State, a state that drove most of the users mad with rage, and this recent depravity weren't enough to make the Prince waver. Not even close.

"At once," Narra heard herself say as the moment of truth came. She stared into the green flame, and she could swear she saw demented faces in the flames staring hatefully back at her. Worse, if they were, Narra couldn't blame them. Her sisters slowed their chanting, maintaining the spell and pretended that they couldn't see or hear what they had done. Narra opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come.

Their Mother, the previous Night Mother, would have known what to say. But, as much as she might wish otherwise, Narra wasn't her.

Instead, in silence, Narra held out her hands, cupping them as if to dip them into a stream for water and reached out with her magic to the horrifying flame. Her lips moved, muttering the ancient spell, and the flame shrunk, condensing as it floated over to her hands. Yet, even still, the souls of the departed rushed to the flame, seeking the relief of the afterlife, only to find eternal destruction instead. Narra turned away from her sisters, feeling their gazes and their judgment on her back as Narra walked forward to the defensive lines.

Frieza-force troops dug themselves in well, using the cover and peeking up to deliver death to the enemy. Destruction lit up the sky as their fliers and anti-air machinery prevented Reach weapons of mass destruction from wiping out their small pocket. Narra lacked the gift of hearing souls speak like Nakka had, but she could feel the lives slipping away all around her. Hundreds, if not thousands every second. An exaggeration, Narra hoped, but she feared that it was the truth.

Gently, Narra floated upward, distantly aware of how her sisters took up positions and hummed a familiar chant. She couldn't hear it over the death, destruction, and screams, but Narra could hear it with her heart. A symbol, the written language of the planet, marked around them in green flames before those symbols stretched outward, connecting the other sisters. Within a short moment, a perfect circle marked the encampment.

Narra looked outward at the sky, finding a speck in the distance that was Prince Tarble. He raced towards the encampment, forced to fight at a distance to unleash his true might. A thought pulled at her, urging her to drop the flame. To make the Prince pay for what he was making her do. So that he would suffer the same fate he intended to inflict on… billions.

Yet, her hands refused to drop the small flame. Fear paralyzed her. Queen Teach was more monstrous than Prince Tarble by half and would take sadistic pleasure in killing Nakka and the rest of her sisters in recompense. But, beyond the fear was doubt.

Prince Tarble possessed a quiet and sad inner voice according to Nakka. She had expected an angry and cruel one. It made her doubt that despite how senselessly evil he acted that there was something underneath that was… not evil.

"Drop it," Prince Tarble ordered, his voice causing a cold shiver raced down her spine. Narra closed her eyes for a brief second, aware of how every member of the Frieza-force fell back behind the circle her sisters formed. Despite every teaching, every moral, and every thought screaming at her to do the opposite, Narra dropped the flame. It fell to the ground, but the small drop it should have been was instead a massive tidal wave of green fire.

The tidal wave surged forward, spilling in every direction except for where it met the protection runes her sisters made. Narra forced herself to open her eyes, to sear the image of the magical fire washing over the Reach defensive lines. The body was unharmed, simply falling over like a puppet with its strings cut. But Narra watched as hundreds, then thousands of souls were consumed by the hungry fire, making it swell and expand until even the Scarabs that flew in the air were consumed. Within moments, the tidal wave of soul-devouring fire was all Narra could see in every direction.

The planet surface would be scourged of all life, their soul consumed and destroyed. Until only three pockets that were their army remained.

"Looks like the spell was effective," Prince Tarble noted as he flew near. It was something about that sentence that made the unforgivable sin settle into place. Perhaps it was the praising tone or just the confirmation that it had worked.

Narra… had just killed… billions.

The plan had been to draw the Reach forces to the surface, so her spell could wipe out as many as possible at once. Prince Tarble had theorized that there were as many as twenty-five billion soldiers on the planet. If his most hopeful estimate was correct… then her spell destroyed the souls of five billion Reach soldiers. A number so inconceivably large that Narra struggled to comprehend it.

Bile rose in the back of her throat but she tried to swallow it down. She couldn't show weakness. Not in front of the Prince.

"You're crying," Prince Tarble observed, and it was only then was Narra aware of the tears that raced down her cheeks.

She had to remain strong. Unflinching. Worthy of Prince Tarble's respect because if she lost it then Nakka could suffer. Her sisters could suffer.

"I… have… defiled everything," Narra heard herself speak, her voice thick with emotion. "Every teaching passed down from countless generations, everything that was ever taught to me. I…" Narra trailed off, knowing that she should stop. "How can I ever face my ancestors after this? What will they think of me?"

Prince Tarble was silent, and as the tidal wave of fire washed over the helpless Reach, there was a moment of celebration as the troops below savored the triumph delivered to them. "I don't have a clue what your ancestors would say, but… they weren't here. They weren't in the situation you were in and they didn't have to make the choices you did. If they can't understand that, then what are their opinions worth?"

He was trying to reassure her. Poorly. Clumsily because he didn't know what he spoke of, but he was trying.

"I am the Night Mother of my people, a title passed down since our home planet named our race. My sisters… my daughters are meant to look to me for guidance," Narra told him. Wanting him to understand the unforgivable sin that he had made her commit. "And I am meant to commune with the spirits of our Grand Night Mothers. This spell, the greatest kindness that they could show me was eternal banishment from the family. I've destroyed the souls of sapient people… and had my s- daughters help."

"Back with Lord Freza years ago, when he had drawn a lottery, do you think that the previous Night Mother would have done anything differently if she was here instead of you?" Prince Tarble asked, cutting right her greatest worry. The question that she asked herself constantly.

"I don't know," Narra admitted quietly.

"I can't say that I knew her, but I'm guessing that she would have given the same answer if I asked her that question. Everyone always thinks that the person that they looked up to always has the answers," Prince Tarble said, floating beside her. And Narra couldn't help but wonder who Prince Tarble had once looked up to. "But they don't. They never do. Just like how they hide that from us, we hide that from others until it's time for someone else to fill the shoes."

"In the end, you can only do what you can manage. You make the best with what you got. And if that's not enough for your ancestors, then it's not enough. Can't do anything about that. What you can do is find a way to bare it. To find reasons to make it worth it," Prince Tarble finished. Narra managed to tear her gaze away to look at Prince Tarble.

His visor blocked her vision of his eyes, but looking at him…

He was six years old. A child. Even by his own people, he was a child. Yet he commanded armies and…

It sounded like he was telling her something that he had told himself at some point.

Quite and sad.

"Thank you, Prince Tarble," Narra thanked him honestly. It… wasn't enough to make her forgive him for so thoroughly drenching her hands with blood and sin, or for bringing Nakka to this battlefield, but… Narra was glad that he wasn't an unfeeling monster. Unlike his mother.

Prince Tarble glanced at her, his eyes hidden by the red visor. For a moment, Narra feared that he had somehow heard her innermost thoughts, but that thought was quickly dismissed when Prince Tarble let out a small sigh. "I'm the one that ordered this. That means the responsibility is mine. Your hands, and your daughters, are clean."

Before Narra could argue the point, Prince Tarble turned around and flew down to the ground. Ending the conversation precisely so she couldn't argue the point. Narra let out a quiet sigh as she turned to look out at the sea of fire that now surrounded them and soon it would cover the entire world.

Her hands felt anything but clean.

* * *

"Are we ready for the second stage?" Prince Tarble asked, prompting Technician to look up from the streams of data. The satellites served several purposes beyond being a cage. Each one was a labor of love and a combination of robotics and sorcery. Technician never understood the desire to procreate beyond the need to ensure the passing down of beneficial genes, but now he had over a thousand children in the atmosphere. It put things in perspective.

"The first stage outstripped our best estimates. It seems that you are more of a threat to the Reach than you believed, Prince Tarble," Technician informed, passing a data packet to his student for him to see for himself. It was hard to believe that a child could merit such a response from the Reach, but Technician was glad for it.

He had seen what the Reach did to worlds it took over firsthand. For every citizen of the Reach that was killed was another given mercy. Even if they didn't understand it.

"Eight billion," Prince Tarble muttered to himself, likely factoring in the reduced number of hostiles into his plans. It was a welcomed surprise. And a confirmed one given that each satellite gave them a live feed of the planet's surface. Billions of Reach soldiers just washed away in a sea of fire. Technician's heart belonged to science but there was a special spot within it for magic. "Keep the exact total away from Narra. She seems to be struggling with the number that was killed."

"As you wish," Technician agreed. Not all species were blessed with a mind that prioritized logic over emotion. Or instincts that craved war. "As for phase two, the wave is nearing complete coverage of the planet. The satellites have done their job well. It is incomplete, but we have a deep scan of the planet's structure."

To prove his words, Technician held up a hand and an incomplete hologram of the Shield World. It was beautiful, in a way. Everything natural about the planet had been stripped away and shaped into what the Reach envisioned. It was all metal, synthetic hard plastics, and technology. Despite what Technician thought of the Reach - when they stepped away from the distasteful scarab design, they created tasteful and elegant works of art. It was only a shame that the deep ground scanners built into the satellites were unable to get a complete scan of the planet.

"They are unable to scan more than four thousand miles down. But, given the consistency of the scan, the reason seems to be Reach induced rather than a failing on the satellites," Technician explained, looking at the perfect orb that served as the planet's outer core. Surrounding it was a near-perfect segmented crust and mantle. Exactly what Prince Tarble predicted - the Shield World was designed for war and the Reach cared about as much for their soldiers as Lord Frieza did, so they wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice portions of their army to bleed the invading force.

An algorithm detected a pattern. There needed to be one to maintain the structure of the planet to prevent it from collapsing in on itself. Supports marked as segments of the planet, each leading down to the outer core that blocked them from scanning further.

"I'm highlighting the targeted coordinates," Technician said as red pinpricks began to mark the planet's surface. There were only a handful, but with a plant the size of Antiople, it was more than enough. "The lasers are being moved into position via satellites now," he continued. They would be using an inverse of the plan that they used on Rench - instead of using lasers to drill a hole out of a planet core, they would use the same lasers to drill a hole into the planet's core.

"Good. They'll either respond in mass, which is unlikely given the magic spell, or they'll have to watch as their defenses are rendered useless," Prince Tarble noted, looking at the red dots. Each marked a main support, but there were several blue dots that marked where a drill could connect a significant portion of the segmented mantle, rendering the Reach's main plan to bleed the invaders further useless. "They'll be forced to think on their feet and react. What happens next depends on what kind of commander is in charge of the place."

"A commander that earned their position due to nepotism rather than merit, u suspect," Technician remarked. A most confusing trait that seemed all too common with other species - placing their young in positions where ability mattered most regardless of if they were qualified or not.

"Hm," Prince Tarble acknowledged, sounding torn between hoping that was the case for the lives of his soldiers and desiring the opposite due to his desire for a challenge. As physical challenges began to dry up due to the Prince's increasing physical strength, he turned to mental challenges more often. A battle of tactics was what he desired, but not one he would likely find with the Reach. "Be ready for anything. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst."

Technician nodded, seeing the wisdom in the words. "The drilling will begin now," he informed, pressing a button one the satellites above were in place. As they began their work, Technician looked out at the sea of green fire that surrounded them. "This tactic is unlikely to work again," he stated.

The Reach was unprepared for sorcery, much less it being used so… effectively. They would learn to take precautions to prevent this happening again.

"It will a few more times," Prince Tarble refuted. "The satellites prevent any contact off-world, and we'll be killing them to the last. The only way the Reach will learn what happened here is through spies in the Frieza-force. I'm sure that they have at least one and they'll leak what happened here to the Reach. But if we hit several targets immediately then they won't have time to prepare."

Technician paused, looking over at Prince Tarble as he considered what he just said. The idea that there was a spy in the Frieza-force was hardly unsurprising. Most species held no loyalty towards Frieza or the Trade Organization, and fewer held any desire to be at war. The Frieza-force was comprised of slaves. It would be shocking if there weren't any spies from those that thought that they would get a better deal if they went with the Reach.

They wouldn't. They would be trading one brand of slavery for another.

"We… will be hitting Shield Worlds… won't we?" Technician hazarded a guess. To make the most of the tactic that had proven its effectiveness, it would be best to hit hard targets before the Reach ruined the tactic.

Prince Tarble offered a sharp smile, telling Technician that he had guessed right. That explained why Prince Tarble had coordinated with other fleets - three to be precise. Three separate fleets and four Shield Worlds and a small timeframe that they would be hit. And each fleet carried an army that would pad out their numbers when Queen Teach's army inevitably took losses.

That was… rather frightening plan. Daring, unorthodox, and dangerous. Fitting for Prince Tarble.

"It's too soon to say anything yet. We have to make sure we don't die here, after all," Prince Tarble pointed out as he looked out at the sea of flames that slowly began to recede from the shield the magic users had crafted. In the distance, Technician saw a bright red drilling laser that would relatively slowly chew through the planet's supports until they reached the core.

Then, as if to prove his words, a bright blue pillar of plasma pushed back the red laser until it slammed into the satellites above. They didn't suffer a scratch thanks to the runes, but whatever had pushed back the drilling laser was powerful. Something moved out of the hole that was being drilled, but Technician's eyes couldn't make out what it was.

"You're _new_!" Prince Tarble breathed, an undeniable edge of excitement in his tone before he blasted off through the barrier before Technician could say a word. He swallowed a small worried breath, realizing that eyes were on him.

"Continue as you were. Prince Tarble shall deal with the anomaly. This is not the time to be sitting around," Technician called out, stepping into his role. After all, without Prince Tarble, the 501st was hardly helpless. It was time that the Reach learned that.

* * *

I blasted through the barrier, my heart racing in my chest. Despite knowing I should hope for the opposite, I had harbored a hope that the Shield World would offer something new. Something different. Some kind of emergency button that they kept in reserve for this exact kind of situation. I knew I shouldn't be so excited but I've fought nothing but Scarabs for my entire life, so anything was a great improvement.

The Scarab floated in midair, its jetpack keeping it afloat. It almost looked like a normal scarab, but it looked just different enough to tell me that it was a normal Scarab. The build was slender, an oddly shaped helmet that covered its face that slopes back. At its wrists were blades that jutted outward. Most notably was the armor itself, the segmented look of it marked with faint blue vents rather than seamless liquid metal.

The Scarab, because it clearly was still a Scarab, looked over at me, twisting in midair to face me. "Prince Tarble of Planet Vegeta," It stated, shifting into a combat stance as I slowed to a stop. Beneath us was a sea of fire that would destroy our souls if we so much dipped a toe in it, adding a level of danger to the fight that I hadn't realized that I missed until it was gone.

"What are you?" I asked, figuring that I should at least get its name. If it was a new type of Scarab then I would end up seeing it again eventually. Though, the fact that it had a blue coloring didn't inspire me with a lot of hope for a good fight. My scouter was reading a ten thousand power level, which wasn't bad for a scout class Scarab, while my ki sense was picking up a fairly weak presence.

"Your end," The Scarab informed before its vents flared to life. I heard the crack of electricity and in a fraction of a second, it crossed the distance between us, moving at speeds that it seemed to be little more than a blur to my eyes. Instinct prevented its words from becoming true. Ki blades sprung from my hands, blocking the blades that rushed towards my neck.

Gathering up ki at the tip of my foot, I flipped backward, slamming a ki slash against the Scarabs armor while I thrust my hands to the side, driving the blades away while I drove the Scarab back. It reacted well, the metal shifting around its hands to become blasters that I deftly blocked.

"Good luck with that," I shot back at it, twisting in the air to dodge a slash that raced by me in a blur. It was fast. Incredibly fast. The sleek design, the thrusters - it was built for speed. My blood hummed in my veins, the power of the Wrath State surging as I clashed blades with the new kind of scarab. The Reach was specializing the Scarabs now. Maybe Vegeta was right about the Reach specializing one to kill us?

It was selfish and idiotic giving the situation but a smile tugged at my lips as I sent a ki blast at the Scarab, only for it to turn on a dime, twisting out of the way as it rushed towards me. Already I was having more fun than I was fighting a hundred Scarabs. I rushed to meet the scarab halfway, dodging a slash meant to bisect me, then a plasma beam aimed at my heart.

Its speed was its advantage, but the tech - the plasma lasers, the missiles and the like, they cost the Scarab valuable seconds to prime. A slight delay, but enough of one that I effortlessly dodged around a stream of plasma, the heat barely bothering me at all, as I closed in on the Scarab, pushing the offensive.

I slashed at it with my ki blades, following with my momentum to sail over its head as it blocked the slash. The protrusions that stuck out over its shoulders launched themselves at me, trying to impale me, but that was a tactic that I was used to. It responded to me trying to get behind it by pivoting, one of the vents on its jetpack and legs shifted, allowing for a rapid spin that allowed it to block my strike to its Scarab.

Beyond both of us, the laser resumed drilling into the planet's surface. I stretched my awareness as we fought, wary of another Scarab like the one I fought. Only for nothing to come as the drilling continued, chipping away at the Shield World's defenses. A theory entered my mind as I blocked a slash that I returned with a kick to the chest hard enough that I learned something about the Scarab - in response to physical blows, the armor inflated slightly.

"You're a prototype," I accused the Scarab, pressing the attack. My hands moved in blurs, blocking, slashing, and reacting to the Scarab's movement. Despite its speed, it didn't take me long to get a feel for the flow of the fight. It attacked in simple but wild patterns.

"I am death," The Prototype responded and if it wouldn't have cost me my head, I would have rolled my eyes.

"You're an idiot," I answered, batting its blades to the side before one of my ki blades condensed into a ki attack. I launched it at Prototype, making it spin. It corrected the course a split second later, lashing out with a blade on its wrist to drive me away while a blaster that I hadn't seen before formed on its hand.

My lips thinned as I reacted, knocking the offending arm away just as it activated. The air shimmered, rings forming that grew narrower as they neared a small tip of the blaster. A wave-based blaster. Probably didn't want to get hit by that.

Prototype tried to react, but I was already in position and I was just too close for it to back off quickly. I swiped down with a hand, my ki blade cutting the Scarab's arm off at the elbow, making it scream in agony. The arm fell down, quickly lost in a sea of flames. The green fire below grew thicker as it poured into the hole that the drills were forming. I had underestimated how potent that they would be.

Just like how I overestimated Prototype.

"I'm guessing that you're the commander of this Shield World?" I asked, not giving Prototype a moment of reprieve. The ki blades around my hands faded, letting me curl my hands into fists that I drove into Prototypes gut, folding it like a piece of paper. As it folded, I flipped back and drove a knee into its face. "You slapped on a prototype scarab, came here to kill me in single combat, and be a great big hero while ignoring the AI?"

The fact that it was here betrayed that it was being piloted by an idiot. I was still in contact with the other two groups of the 501st, all of which were still alive. Meaning that it had targeted me. Which was dumb. I might be the most powerful person on the planet, but I couldn't take a Shield World on my own.

I was willing to be all my rations that the AI in the scarab told the pilot to target the soft targets, the 501st to undercut the invasion. I could fight it, but most of the 501st couldn't. And the fact that the AI hadn't simply taken control of the host suggested that the host was important enough that the scarab couldn't overrule the host.

Prototype was tellingly silent, glaring up at me as the nanites of the armor surged to recreate a false arm, deadening the nerves so it wasn't screaming anymore.

"Shame. The prototype had promise," I said, darting forward to finish the fight. In response, the pieces of the scarab that jutted out of its back broke off, becoming four turrets as Prototype suddenly broke off, rushing towards the hole that it had come out of. Only to find it filled with fire. I twisted out of the way of the turrets that coordinated through the air, somehow managing to keep up with my speeds.

They bombarded me with small blasts of plasma around the size of my fist, only the color was off. A blood-red rather than a cool blue like most plasmablasts. That told me that I didn't want to get hit by it, forcing me to dodge as I closed in on Prototype. Ki formed in my hands as I flew upward towards the segmented sky that was a golden red to my view. The turrets blasted at me from below, the red plasma racing by me.

Turning around, a Spiral Buster formed in my hands as I looked down at Prototype. The alien in the scarab seemed to understand the mistake that it had made. Looked like Technician was right on the money - the commander of the Shield World was someone that had the position by virtue of their family. A rookie that thought he could take me out and save the day.

And, judging by the panicked movements it made as it attempted to flee from me, it realized it was about to die for that mistake. So would everyone else on the Shield World.

"Spiral Buster!" I shouted, firing off the attack. The turrets that followed me were enveloped in the blast, reduced to nothing as the ki attack raced towards Prototype. It dodged out of the way with deft ease, proving its mobility even if it was being piloted by an idiot with delusions of grandeur. My attack slammed into the ground behind it, causing the green flames to explode upward as the sea was disrupted.

It realized a moment too late that was the plan all along. The green fire surged upward, giving Prototype just enough time to look behind it to watch as the fire splashed over the scarab. As the fire enveloped the scarab, I watched as its soul was ripped free of its body - the corpse slimed over in death while the soul seemed to dissolve in the flames.

Then the fire fell back to the ground, and both the soul and the corpse were lost. I stared at the sea for a brief moment, the cogs moving in my head before my gaze shifted to my hand.

"I need magic resistance," I decided. Narra had just proven how thoroughly dangerous magic could be. How it just ignored my strength and speed, and all it would take was dipping in a toe to destroy my soul. The Reach focused on tech but that wasn't true for everyone. I needed some kind of resistance, or countermeasure if I ever fought a magic-user who could do something like this.

But, that was a problem for another day. I looked out over the horizon, seeing a few mining lasers drilling in the distance. "The Scarab is down," I informed through my scouter, feeling more than a little disappointed at the quality of my enemy. Mostly because I had let my hopes soar. I had hoped for a fight that would push me to my limits, that would force me to dig deep and, as Elery was fond of saying, go even further beyond.

Simply because it felt like I hadn't been pushed to that limit in years.

"We may have a situation," Technician informed, making me look over at the small spot where the flames refused to touch. "I've discovered what the core of the planet is. I expected it to be some sort of production facility, but that isn't the case. It's… a bomb. A very large bomb."

I blinked. "How big of a yield?" I questioned, looking over at one of the mining lasers. It was tempting to just let the Reach blow themselves up, but Lord Frieza wanted worlds intact. Not only that, but the Shield World's that I planned to take would also make an excellent staging ground for further invasions.

"It will destroy the immediate solar system," Technician noted with more than a little worry in his tone. That was enough to make me start feeling nervous. "The bomb systems are isolated so I'm unable to remotely hack them, but due emergency procedures, I can tell that the bomb has been activated and there's a count down. We have less than five minutes."

I'm guessing by killing Prototype, I had kick-started the timer. That was mildly annoying.

"Can we disarm it?" I asked, noting how one drilling laser stopped, having hit the surface of the bomb.

"Uncertain. The only way to find out would be to directly interface with the bomb's systems," Technician informed, making me frown as I flew over a large hole in the ground that the sea of fire flowed into.

"I'll-" I started, preparing a bubble shield to protect me from the green flames, only to cut myself off when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Narra and Technician flew towards me, a slight smile on Technician's face told me that he knew exactly what I was about to try to do.

"You have made sufficient progress, but disarming a Reach bomb of this magnitude is beyond you. I will disarm the bomb," Technician informed, not leaving any room for argument. Not that there was any time for it. I glanced over at Narra, wondering what her presence was for since there were other flyers. She answered the unspoken question with action instead of words.

Green flames coated her hands before they shifted to a pale gold color. She reached out towards us, and the pale gold fire washed over the two of us. I had to fight back my instinct to dodge after what seeing that fire could do, but trust was a two-way street. If Narra and the 501st were going to trust me with their lives, then I should try to return that trust.

The golden flames felt warm on my skin, a tingling sensation washing over me as we were enveloped by the flames. "This will protect you from my… my spell," she informed. I nodded, knowing that time was of the essence, and I wasted no time launching myself down into the sea of flames and the hole they flowed into.

"501st, withdraw immediately. The planet could blow up any minute now," I informed, speaking on general comms. I had contingencies for something like this, though I expected the Shield World to put up a stiffer of a fight to force us to withdraw. Magic was proving to be increasingly useful.

"What about you?" Fasha questioned while the others followed the order.

"I'm going to deal with the bomb," I informed before I killed the communication.

It would be a lie to say that I didn't consider that Narra was lying to me, trying to trick me into my death, but I plunged into the flames all the same. I expected to feel heat as the flames washed over me, Narra and Technician following behind me, but instead, I felt cold. And… it could just be my imagination as we raced towards the center of the planet, blasting through the sound barrier, but it felt like something was tugging at me in the flames.

I wasn't ashamed to admit that the tugging as if something was trying to grab me, spurred me to go that much faster. It took minutes for us to reach the bottom of the planet, even with the aid of Narra helping us clear jumps with her teleportation magic.

"Two minutes left," Technician warned as we touched down on the surface of the bomb. A smooth gray surface that looked untouched by the fire and the mining drill that carved a tunnel through the planet. I prepped a ki attack to drill my way through the bomb but paused when Technician took out a small device and placed it onto the bomb before a hologram appeared between his hands. "I can access the bombs systems from here."

"That easy?" I asked, looking around us, only to see green fire. It couldn't do anything to the metal that made up the planet, but it flowed into the holes that contained countless enemy soldiers.

"Hacking is far less exciting than one would think," Technician explained as the timer ticked down, speaking just as fast as his hands moved. "Did you think we would have to break into the core and access a main terminal, or something?"

"Well…"

Technician chuckled while Narra prepared herself to open a portal for a quick escape if we couldn't stop the planet from blowing. "Nothing so dramatic. Being able to interface with the systems is enough, and my toolkit that I uploaded into the Reach's systems and being able to interact with the bombs systems is more than enough. The only real difficulty that I had was that the system was isolated."

I nodded, decided to trust his expertise on the subject. I didn't know a single thing about hacking, much less how I would start, so if he said that's all that he needed then I would believe him.

"How are we looking?" I asked, each second feeling painfully slow, and the minutes felt like hours.

"Oh?" Technician looked up, "I've already deactivated the bomb. Like I said, the only challenge was that the system was isolated."

I whipped around, looking at Technician, who looked puzzled that I was surprised. The bomb was already deactivated? Just like that? No dramatic countdown with it stopping at the last minute? No sudden release of tension as the planet and the solar system was saved from annihilation? That was…

"Then what are you doing?" I asked, feeling… I don't know what I was feeling.

"I'm identifying the compartments filled with Reach soldiers and attempting to destroy them. Like you expected, the compartments are ready to be sacrificed once they have been lost, and they can be remotely activated. The tech that, ah… Junk Rat provided has been most useful," Technician explained. Junk Rat was an alien of unknown origins that had an uncanny ability to make great things out of scrap. "I'm having a great deal of success. It's unlikely I should get them all, however. Some will be left for you Prince Tarble."

There was a teasing edge in his voice that I barely heard as I considered the news.

The plan was a fantastic success, better than I could possibly hope for. We took a Shield World with minimum casualties and every step of the way, we were ten steps ahead of the enemy. I should be happy. I should be proud of a plan that went off without a hitch. One of the greatest roadblocks for the Frieza-force was just removed without any trouble. A great challenge surmounted with utter ease.

And I was happy. I was proud. It was a great achievement against a target that Lord Frieza himself deemed a worthy target to destroy to announce his power to the universe. We conquered the planet with near ease.

But… deep down, I felt robbed of a challenge that I had anticipated for years.

I felt cheated.

* * *

**I have a new story called See No Evil, a Young Justice SI. If you're interested in checking it out, then just go to my profile. Let me know what you think!**

**The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed! **


	48. Sounds of the Future

"I've sent you the data file - I want you to jump on it. His ratings are going to jump through the roof and I don't want any steam being lost because we were caught flat-footed. Call the producers, get another season of Hero-force in the works now. I'll talk to Prince Tarble about maybe doing an interview," Ada'la, Prince Tarble's agent, spoke into her communicator as she compiled clips and videos of what had transpired on the Shield Worlds.

The pieces were hard to watch, knowing that they were very much real and not paid actors reenacting a scene. The one thing that remained constant was that the clips revolved around Prince Tarble and his downright heroic efforts. The Prince didn't understand the weight of seeing him fight dozens of Scarabs had on others. For most, the weakest scarab was a certain death sentence. They could devastate entire armies.

And seeing him defeat them with ease, a stalwart defender to the weaker aliens behind him - to some races, especially the primitive species uplifted by Lord Frieza, Prince Tarble would appear as a god to them. A promise of victory in any battlefield that he fought on. Actually…

"We need to think of a title. Something short, rolls of the tongue, but still has an impact," Ada'la coordinated her team to churn out the next wave of Prince Tarble's brand. She could do without the rather harsh restrictions that Prince Tarble placed on her in terms of what he was willing to do, but the more time she spent around saiyans, the more reasonable those restrictions seemed. The other saiyan children were little psychopathic monsters that didn't understand high fashion. "Prince Tarble the...Breaker? No, not that…"

"I'll have a team on it," one of her aids responded dutifully. That was good. Ada'la wasn't any good with names. What she was good at was making brands known and with this latest stunt, Prince Tarble's brand would be the most popular in the entire galaxy if she had anything to say about it.

Prince Tarble was a known entity in some circles. His show, Hero-force, was holding strong at the tenth most popular streamed show that the Trade Organization offered. His Hero-force related toys were selling very well - Prince Tarble was a known entity and had been for some time. His deeds at D'xe and Rench got his name out there, the show and the toys spread his name further, but this?

Four Shield Worlds taken out nearly simultaneously? With a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the expected forces to conquer one? Not to mention the comparatively low casualties?

Prince Tarble had just made his mark on the war. The Frieza-force was flooding through the opening that Prince Tarble and the 501st had made.

And, as his agent, it was her job to make sure that everyone in the galaxy that was capable of receiving a Trade Organization transmission knew it. Prince Tarble would be a household name by the time she was done. That much, Ada'la swore.

"We need to think of spin-offs as well. The 501st is a diverse cast and we should utilize them as much as we can. Have a singular narrative and have other spin-offs that flow into the main narrative… though, that means we should look into having a second show about Prince Tarble. One with a much grittier, harsher view. Keep the Hero-force for children, but for young adults, they can get hooked into the expanding Tarble-verse." Ada'la said, making notes.

"We could use a Saiyan's growth spurts as a way to do it. With Hero-force, he'll remain a small relatable child, but in the other series, we could aim them towards older children and young adults. Once he reaches adolescence, romcoms become a possibility and if we cultivate his image-"

Then every teenage female in the galaxy would be drooling over Prince Tarble. If his father was anything to judge by, he wouldn't be lacking in the looks department. He was royalty with a tragic story and a life filled with adversity. Honestly, it wrote itself.

"Do it. Tell the writing team I want tight narratives for the main story and the branches. We're thinking long-term here, and I don't want any plot holes-" Ada'la started, already plotting the next ten to twenty years of Prince Tarble. Movies, shows, books, documentaries, and hologames.

"We have a Slurm Cola offer that just came in - they want Prince Tarble on the face of the can and a short promotional commercial!" Her aid shouted in her ear, his voice climbing higher with every word. Ada'la couldn't blame him for that. Slurm Cola was an absolute powerhouse in the Trade Organization, meaning that they could be picky on who they advertised.

And there was absolutely no way that she was going to be able to get Prince Tarble to do it. Everything that he was willing to do always had to have a direct contribution to the war effort. An angle that she had used to spin his image, but with a giant like Slurm Cola, that wouldn't work. If they missed this opportunity then they were likely to just withdraw the offer or leverage their hesitance for a better deal. Contracts and additional promotions…

"Lord Frieza has made contact with the ship, Prince Tarble is in a call with him," one of her agents amongst the flagship informed her through another line. If there had to be a silver lining to being surrounded by slaves, it was that they were rather simple to motivate so they were quick to bring her news and gossip.

That was absolutely perfect timing.

"Tell Slurm that Prince Tarble is currently in a call with Lord Frieza himself, so he'll have to get back to them at a later date," Ada'la informed, a smile tugging at her lips. A perfect power move. She got out of her chair, already planning to leverage the time that was opened up for her to somehow convince Prince Tarble to do the promotion deal.

"Happily," her aid on the other end said before she ended the call. Her quarters were conveniently close to the command deck, little more than a closet, but that was the price of convenience. Walking out without so much as looking at her full multi-angled mirror, Ada'la rushed towards the command deck.

She made an attempt to straighten out the few hairs that were out of place before the large bulkhead doors opened up. On the other side was Prince Tarble kneeling while Queen Teach, Avery, the current admiral of the fleet along with the commanders for the magic and technology support, Narra and Technician. All would be receiving high honors.

Above them was a hologram of Lord Frieza himself. A sinister-looking alien that was stark white, the same color of a bone bleached under the sun and dark purple around his shoulders and head - the leader of the Trade Organization. And one of the most powerful beings in the universe. If a primitive alien could look at Prince Table and see a god, then Lord Frieza would be what a god would pray to.

"It seems every time we talk it's because you've done something to impress me, Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza said with a pleased tone, but there was an edge in it that almost sounded sarcastic. "Four Shield Worlds… if I didn't know any better, I would think you were attempting to show me up!" He said with a delighted laugh, closing his eyes and he let out a laugh, but he was undoubtedly aware of the slightly panicked expression that passed over everyone's face.

"I don't think I could do that even if I was trying," Prince Tarble responded with a naive honesty that Ada'la learned to trust. No double-speak, no secret meanings, or battles with words. Just direct honestly. It was refreshing.

Lord Frieza thought so well by his chuckle.

"I had a tactic that had a short window to be effective so I made the most of it while I could. But it wouldn't have been anywhere near as effective without Narra and Technician." Prince Tarble shared the same with the ease of someone who couldn't care less about it.

"Indeed. You chose well with the 501st - some have taken to calling them your fist," Lord Frieza remarked and an odd look of incredible pride passed over Queen Teach's face. "A nickname well deserved. The Reach has been pushed back substantially and they won't recover from this easily."

"I was unable to destroy their fleets entirely, and what was left of them are currently missing. We're hunting them down now, but they've had enough time to regroup. We'll have to deal with them before we can sweep up their undefended planets." Prince Tarble said seriously and Ada'la knew that was going to be a part of his charm once he grew older, and he had the excuse of being a child, but could he really not see that Lord Frieza was attempting to reward him for this deed?

"I trust that you can handle whatever the Reach throws at you, Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza stated, cocking his head to the side ever so slightly. "But, I must say, I hadn't expected secrecy from you. I didn't know you Saiyan's had it in you."

If Prince Tarble heard the accusation in his tone, then he didn't react to it. "If I caused you any trouble, Lord Frieza then I apologize. I was too worried about what would happen to my plan if the Reach found out about it." He explained, bowing his head in submission. Which was the move he could have done if Lord Frieza was angry with him.

Ada'la hadn't seen it in person, but she heard rumors that Lord Frieza killed those that did their jobs. And those that had earned his ire… death was a mercy.

"Oh, there's no reason to apologize," Lord Frieza dismissed the issue with a lazy swipe of his hand. "All things considered, a problem of too much progress is a rather welcomed change… I would actually like your opinion on something, Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza said, his lips curling into a smile that was sharp enough to cut. "What do you believe is the biggest problem my armies are facing? In your personal opinion?"

Prince Tarble clearly had given the question some great through prior because his answer was swiftly delivered. "The vast majority of the Frieza-force, as in the soldiers all the way up to those that command them, are reluctant to fight. They coast on the success of others and are far more concerned with living than they are pushing the Reach back and ending this war."

"Hm… I've noticed much the same. Unfortunately, not all of my slaves possess the urge to fight like you Saiyans," Lord Frieza said, sounding ambivalent, but Ada'la heard the slight in his words. A reminder that the Saiyan race, despite what they had accomplished, was still a slave race.

Prince Tarble simply nodded, "They lack motivation. In the time I've fought with the 501st and the armies, I've found that most of them… don't see a point in fighting. In their eyes, they have lost everything to the Frieza-force - their homes, their families, and now they're being asked to give up their lives. And when their lives are the last thing that they have left, they are reluctant to take any risks with it."

And Prince Tarble had just rebuked Lord Frieza. Questioning his method of enslavement-

"An interesting point," Lord Frieza contended, making Ada'la release a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Lord Frieza wasn't going to fire one of those… 'ki blasts' from halfway across the galaxy and wipe out their fleet for a thoughtless remark. That, Ada'la noted, showed that Prince Tarble truly did have Lord Frieza's personal favor. "I do believe you're right. I've relied too heavily on the stick to keep my armies in line… I do suppose that it's time that I tried a carrot… is there anything that you would recommend?"

He was asking Prince Tarble for advice. Acknowledging his opinion. What's more, it was difficult to tell, but it sounded like a genuine question rather than a sarcastic rhetorical one.

"I've heard that most aliens like money. Or perhaps if they perform well they could be reunited with their families and race?" Prince Tarble hedged slightly, sounding unsure what most aliens would like as a reward for fighting. Ada'la supposed, to a Saiyan, the fight was reward enough for him.

"Doable… Those in command are far more important than the rank and file - I believe I have just the thing," Lord Frieza said with a smile that could be mistaken for kind. "Perhaps a reward is due for each planet taken? The tariffs of the planet could be divided between the armies and fleets for a period of time. The commanders would take a larger portion, naturally, but the ordinary soldiers would be entitled to a diminished percentage of the tariffs as well."

That smile widened a fraction as he narrowed his eyes at Prince Tarble, "But you are due a reward, Prince Tarble. To this, I grant you this special privilege - any planet that you conquer will become your personal property. You can decide what to do with them - from how they're governed, their taxes as well as their revenue. Your agent will be able to make recommendations on what they're best suited for."

There was a sinister edge in that smile. Ada'la saw even as Lord Frieza bestowed what must be one of the greatest gifts he could bestow that outstripped her wildest expectations. But not one that couldn't be taken away. Prince Tarble was still a slave, and any possession he owned was indirectly owned by Lord Frieza. Masterfully done. "And you will serve as an example - I believe that you will do your best work as a mobile force. An army and a fleet will be assigned to you, Prince Tarble. I expect you to lead them well."

Things had taken a very wild turn. Prince Tarble had just became a general and a fleet was assigned to him. But, more than that, Prince Tarble was going to firmly be in the public eye within the Frieza-force. How he did things would become the expectation. He was now the bar that had to be reached.

All of that responsibility shoved into those small shoulders of a child… it would have terrified her, but Ada'la had little doubt that Prince Tarble could carry that responsibility well. But it also painted a very large target on his back.

Prince Tarble seemed caught off guard for a brief second before he nodded, "I will, Lord Frieza. I swear it."

"I believe you," Lord Frieza said, smiling, and with that, the hologram winked out. And without his presence looming over the command center, it was like a weight lifted off everyone's shoulders. Even when he was praising someone and rewarding them, it felt like an execution.

"Ha! So you're Prince General Tarble now," Queen Teach exclaimed, sounding overjoyed with the promotion. Saiyans seemed to care little about the responsibilities of a prestigious position, but they placed great value on the prestige such a promotion would bring. She walked up and rubbed Prince Tarble's head hard enough that a lesser species would have been beheaded.

Prince Tarble seemed to have barely noticed, lost in his own thoughts as he realized the implications of what had just happened. It was a puzzling situation, in truth - the Saiyan race was still a slave race, but Prince Tarble alone was being allowed to own property. Anything he conquered would be owned by him and if his previous progress was anything to go by, he will have conquered hundreds of planets by the time the war is done.

Yet, those planets were his and his alone. King Vegeta, and other members of the ruling family, were unable to expand their property beyond the Planet Vegeta.

The Saiyan political hierarchy just got very… messy. Prince Tarble was second in line for the throne, yet he was already personally more powerful than the current King. With this special privilege? Not only was he stronger, but his power base would far outstrip not only the King but the Prince Vegeta as well.

With this act of generosity, Lord Frieza made a civil war for the throne an inevitability.

"This is going to be a problem," Prince Tarble muttered to himself.

"Eh?" Queen Teach responded, clueless when it came to politics. Which was so… incredibly jarring at times.

"Commanders are going to try to check my power, so they're going to rush to take high-value targets. And the more planets that I take, the more they're going to feel threatened by me. With those aliens attacking Planet Vegeta, it's clear our race already has enemies amongst the Frieza-force. We become threatening enough and they'll unite against us," Prince Tarble thought out loud, proving that he at least had a rough understanding of politics.

What he said was a near certainty. The Saiyans, despite being few in number, had a poor reputation due to copious amounts of friendly fire and their willingness to eat the dead of either side. And those with power were always wary of those that rapidly acquired it.

"So?" Queen Teach dismissed, sounding like she welcomed all challengers.

"It's not a problem yet, but ambitious idiots are going to get in my way to end this war," Prince Tarble explained. "Weak cowards that are unable to face me themselves so they'll send millions to their deaths and attempt to sabotage me every step of the way."

That will be a real issue-

"Ada'la? Walk with me," Prince Tarble ordered as he turned around- a gasp left her throat as the blood-red cape that hung off his shoulders flared out as he turned. The cape flare was perfection if she had ever seen it. How the bottom of it spilled out, dramatically revealing his figure behind the red fabric - it was absolutely everything a cape flare should be.

"Of course," Ada'la agreed, giving everyone in the room a slight bow to display her respects before she fell in line behind Prince Tarble as the bulkhead doors closed behind them. "Congratulations on your promotion," she said, already thinking of ways to leverage the newest events.

The biggest issue was that they were almost too unbelievable to be used in a story. The truth was often stranger than fiction, as they say.

"Thanks. As things are, I'm going to have to expand tactfully into the Reach. I have to be mindful of others willing to attack me from behind," Prince Tarble said, sounding like he was talking to himself. Ada'la didn't respond, letting the Prince think his way through the dilemma that had been thrust upon him with no warning. Lord Frieza was perhaps a tad too fond of rewarding work with more work because now Prince Tarble found himself surrounded on all sides. "I'll prioritize defensive planets first. I'll send you a list of planets that will be taken along the way to decide what they're best used for. After they have been restored with terraforming technology."

"A wise decision," Ada'la stated. "It may be prudent to also make alliances within the Frieza-force. Slurm Cola has requested that you perform an ad campaign with them. It would be a good start to establish inroads with the company."

Ada'la didn't need to see his face to know a sour look passed over his features but he didn't immediately shoot the idea down. Instead, his shoulder slumped ever so slightly before he squared them with the resolve of a person willing to do something that they really didn't want to for the greater good.

"Fine. I'll do the campaign," Prince Tarble and Ada'la couldn't stop the small smile of victory that tugged at her cheeks. It was rather odd that Prince Tarble hadn't tried to argue the point to bargain down to a simple photoshoot, which Ada'la was more than happy to accept. But it seemed that Prince Tarble was finally starting to accept that appearances were important and expanding his influence could only help him in the long run.

"Excellent! Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to ask where you learned that cape flare? And if you would be willing to do motion capture to replicate it for your show?" Ada'la questioned, deciding to push her luck while Prince Tarble was recovering his balance.

Prince Tarble glanced at her with some reluctance, "It's an ancient skill passed down from our first King, King Vegeta the First." Again with the name Vegeta. "I'm not really a fan of capes, but Mom made me practice the move since mastering is mandatory for a member of the royal family. I just got used to wearing it eventually."

Prince Tarble was still a child. An extraordinary capable child, enough so to the point it was easier to think of him as a grown adult that just happened to look like a child. Especially when he was now a general in charge of possibly millions of troops and an entire fleet.

But, in the end, an extraordinary child was still a child.

* * *

"Is it true?" Nakka asked Narra quietly, having entered her room without a sound. Her youngest sister-... daughter was rather adept at sneaking up on others, even if it wasn't a planet given talent.

There was no question what Nakka was asking her about. A conversation that Narra expected and dreaded ever since her magic was used to purge Shield Worlds. A gift to her bestowed by the planet used to perform unspeakable deeds. Those that had accompanied her to the Shield Worlds had not spoken to her, hardly even looking at her.

Narra was the Night Mother but she felt little more than an exile.

"It is true," Narra said, not facing Nakka, and slowly set down a small cup of tea that she had been drinking. With Nakka's gift, there was little point in trying to deny it. Or trying to hide what she felt. "I crafted a spell to destroy the souls of our enemies and with my magic, this war will plunge itself into further madness."

Nakka was silent for a long minute. Then another. And another. And it was only after the silence dragged on and on that Narra dared to look over her shoulder to see that Nakka was gone. Unable to so much as stand in her presence. Emotion clogged at Narra's throat as grief savagely squeezed her heart, the ache in her chest almost enough to drive her to her knees.

With a trembling hand, Narra raised her glass of tea to her lips. The sweet flavor tasted like ash in her mouth. Her emotions ran wild, her control slipping, and the glass cup flung across the room and shattered on the wall. Shards falling to the ground while a dark purple tea dripped down the wall in slow-moving beads.

That… had been her favorite cup and the last of her tea from home.

Narra sat in a chair, burying her face into her hands and shook with emotion as she tried to fight back tears. Never before had she felt so alone before. Not even when her sisters- or daughters, or whatever were scattered across the galaxy and she had served on a nameless ship with no familiar faces. At that time, she thought nothing could be worse than that intense sense of loneliness, but she was wrong.

Being surrounded by her family and those she loved with all of her heart, yet still feeling utterly alone and lost was worse by far.

A message beeped on her scouter, forcing Narra to look up. Despite every odd, she harbored a hope that it was from Nakka. Desperately hoping that it was a message from her youngest and dearest sis- daughter, and that it was filled with words that Narra desperately needed to hear. Instead, she saw that it was a message from Prince Tarble. Requesting her presence in a cargo hold that he used as a training room.

Narra looked at the scouter and the message for a long minute, suppressing the urge to throw it across the room as well. Instead, Narra let out a shaky breath as she stood up and wiped whatever wetness had managed to gather at her eyes. Once she calmed herself, Narra stepped out of her room and saw that no one was outside. Swallowing thickly, she began making her way down the hall, letting her feet carry her to her destination.

It took her some time to reach it, but Narra had no reason to care about that. Since the Shield Worlds, she was left spending time alone in her room or avoiding Nakka to pushback the inevitable disgust that Nakka would feel towards her. Now Narra could not go back to her room for days and she doubted that anyone would notice.

Arriving at the cargo hold, a door slid open to reveal Prince Tarble standing alone at the center of it. Two disks floated over and beneath him, both made of ki. There are several sensors running around the two disks that were in turn connected to a sensor that read 10g. The Prince went through several motions, fighting against an unseen enemy.

It was unworthy and undeserving, but a pang of hatred echoed in her chest at the sight of the Prince. Hate for making her craft that spell, to making her use it, to making her coven turn their backs on her, to being rewarded for the atrocities that stained her soul itself. He had offered words of comfort and reassurance, but in the end, it was her that suffered consequence for what happened on the Shield Worlds. And he was simply an easy target to direct her anger towards.

The disk pulsed as she neared before the sensor display read 11g.

"Hm," Prince Tarble grunted, sounding dissatisfied as he looked down at a hand that he curled into a fist. "It'll do as a proof of concept," he decided before he turned around to look at her. His visor was on a table, revealing normal black eyes, so he wasn't in the Wrath State. "Sorry for calling you on short notice and making you wait. I wasn't sure if you got my message."

Because she had neglected to send a confirmation.

"It is no trouble, Prince Tarble," Narra dismissed evenly. She swallowed her anger and grief simply because she was the Night Mother. Even if every member of her race resented her for her deeds, she would do what she could for them and if that meant standing in the presence of someone that she was beginning to loathe, then that was a sacrifice she had to make. "Is there something you need?"

Like another curse of mass destruction?

"I was thinking about magic and how I have no real defenses against it. Something like the flames you made - I can't just tough that out. So, I was wondering if you had any leads on a way to make me… immune to offensive magic, ideally," Prince Tarble questioned, the two disks above and below him fading into nothing. The request caught Narra off guard, but perhaps it shouldn't have. Prince Tarble, no matter what she might think of him, was rather aggressive in attacking areas he believed he was lacking.

Narra had once asked his younger sister, Princess Elery if she was taking math lessons like her brother. Her response? 'Math? What's math? Does it taste good?'

After giving the question a moment of thought, Narra gave a slow nod. "There are talismans that I could craft that could protect your soul from direct attack, but make you immune to hostile magic…" Narra considered it for a long minute, her lips tugging downward. "There are runes that would have a similar effect, but they would have to be tattooed onto your body. However, when you grow they will be rendered null."

"So I would have to wait until my final growth spurt. And make sure that I don't pick up any scars," Prince Tarble said, sounding like he didn't care for the option. Most likely because it would take years to do and he wasn't likely to avoid scars forever. And perhaps it was only because of what the Prince made her do, but an idea struck her.

"There may be another option," Narra said, wondering if she was really about to suggest what she was about to say. "My magic, my gift from the planet, allows me to interact with souls. It's what allowed me to craft that… that spell. What I could do is engrave the runes directly into your soul - due to the nature of the canvas, the runes will remain effective as you grow and 'collect' scars."

Prince Tarble perked up, apparently liking the idea, "And it doesn't have a point of weakness like a talisman. Alright, if you think it'll work, then let's go with that. When can we start?" He asked, almost looking excited at the prospect.

"We can begin now," Narra said, making a decision in her mind. "I have the materials for the necessary ritual in my room."

"Lead the way."

Narra did. They walked back to her room in silence, only her heart seemed to make a sound on the way back. The door slid open, revealing her precious few possessions. Ancient books that she had salvaged from the destruction that Frieza had rained down upon her home. Instruments of magic and, most importantly, ingredients.

Prince Tarble glanced at the broken cup and the drying tea on her wall. He said nothing, but she could feel the question in his gaze. "I… lost my temper. Please forgive me for the mess," Narra said as she fetched a ritual knife. The blade was a faint green and the metal it was made of seemed to shift the more that Narra looked at it. Its grip was made of bone, but it felt comfortable in her hand.

"This is nothing compared to Elery's room. You have nothing to apologize for," Prince Tarble said. Narra knew it was an attempt to put her at ease, but it only made her more nervous. Doubts tugged at her thoughts, second-guessing her decision.

"Please take a seat. I will have to light some candles. I will have to warn you that the process will be a long one. To fully engrave the runes into your soul, it could possibly take years," Narra informed but Prince Tarble didn't seem concerned as he took a seat. He looked incredibly small in it. His legs barely reached the end of the seat with his back touching the support.

"That's fine," Prince Tarble decided. "The Reach is unlikely to use magic offensively. This is more of a preemptive measure for other enemies."

Narra nodded, lighting a few candles as she looked down at the slender blade in her hand. She opened her mouth to tell him that she was about to begin, but the words caught in her throat. She stood there, looking at Prince Tarble, and only then did it really settle in what she was about to do.

Anger and spite made a fool out of her.

No matter who she might blame, at the end of the day, she was responsible for her own actions. It was unbecoming to make another suffer for petty gratification.

"I must also prepare a tea," Narra added, rushing to prepare the ingredients.

"Why?" Prince Tarble questioned, a sharp edge in his tone. He undoubtedly noticed the sudden change in behavior. Narra stilled for a second, her eyes closing and wondered if she had just doomed herself and others with her thoughtless actions.

"I…" Narra started before a quiet sigh of defeat and exhaustion escaped her. "The engravings will be painful. Extremely so. The tea will render you unconscious for the duration of the engraving, so you won't feel a thing."

"So, you thought since I can handle the Wrath State I could handle the engraving but figured better safe than sorry?" Prince Tarble questioned, but his eyes were hard and sharp. He was giving her an out. An excuse.

Narra knew she should take it but everything settled so very heavily on her shoulders and she felt something deep inside of her crack at the weight. The loneliness, the horror of her deeds in killing billions, and now attempting to… to torture a child in an attempt to vent her anger. As much as she hated Prince Tarble, Frieza and everyone responsible for this horrid war, it paled in comparison to how much she hated herself in that moment.

"No. I… I blame you for… everything. You said that my hands were clean because you gave the order, but that doesn't change the fact that my kind, my sisters and daughters, they all despise me for what I did on the Shield Worlds. I hate myself for what I did. And… I… don't even know. I wanted you to suffer, but… for what?" Narra admitted her guilt, accepting that the outcome was completely out of her hands.

Prince Tarble stared hard at her for a long few seconds and Narra couldn't help but wonder how many had seen that hard gaze before they died? Prince Tarble might be a child - those eyes, however, they were of a hardened killer.

"Can I really be made immune to hostile magic with these runes," Prince Tarble questioned. Narra gave a nod. She hadn't been lying about that. The runes were used to protect sacred sites from disruptive elements. At that, Prince Tarble settled in his chair. "Okay."

"Okay?" Narra questioned with a frown, expecting death as her punishment. Or worse.

"Okay. You had your chance to do something, but you didn't. Then you admitted your guilt," Prince Tarble stated, the hard look in his eyes softening ever so slightly. "So, you're forgiven. But, I will be awake during the engravings. Just in case you change your mind again."

"I-" Narra started to argue, but Prince Tarble silenced her with a look. He had absolutely no idea what he was saying. What she had tried to inflict on him. But she knew that tone meant that the topic was not up for discussion. She closed her eyes for a brief moment - she was alive and there would be no punishment beyond a loss of trust. And that made her feel that much more guilt. "Very well…"

Narra stepped forward, kneeling as Prince Tarble stuck out an arm after taking off a glove and pushing back his undersuit. "Please brace yourself," Narra warned before she summoned upon her magic, her lips moving as she uttered a spell and flames covered the knife and her hand. Then she reached out, grabbing Prince Tarble by the arm and gently lifting his part of his soul out of his body.

A pale white arm lifted out of his physical body, her fingers sliding through the physical flesh to keep his soul arm in place. Prince Tarble made a noise of discomfort as his arm flopped to the ground, unresponsive for a few seconds before feeling returned to it. She could feel his eyes on her and it seemed while he was willing to trust her with this task, that trust did not come without reservations.

With a steady hand, Narra moved her other hand to begin engraving a starting symbol at the tip of his middle finger. The moment the tip of the blade touched his soul finger, Prince Tarble sucked in a sharp breath but he remained still. And more than anything, that terrified her. What had he endured that he could have his soul mutilated and he could suppress every scream?

"Do you wish to continue? It will become far worse as the symbols grow more intricate," she warned, hoping that he would call off the idea. Or, at the very least, drink the tea so he would be unconscious for it.

"I do," Prince Tarble said, and she had never heard more pain in two words in her entire life. It was like there was a barely suppressed scream in each letter. Narra had her doubts, but she paid no mind to her question and fears in favor of focusing on the task. A small symbol was engraved into the uppermost joint of his ring finger. All the while, faint memories tugged at her mind. Flashes of images.

Looking up at a blue scarab as a sword pierced his chest.

Narra moved onto the middle joint of the finger, the engraving flowing downward towards his palm. The runes were simple and elegant, beautiful in their own way.

A memory of crushing loneliness. Enough so that it nearly jolted her out of her trance. Memories of… years of forced silence, of captivity, floating in goop that slowly changed in color. Of standing on a building as he watched oozarus devastate a city, before he vomited in disgust and horror. Of looking down at his hands and seeing that they were covered in blood.

Quiet and sad, indeed.

The last joint of the finger was next. This time a memory was faded and disjointed. No, it wasn't even a memory. It was too diluted to be called that. Faceless people in white moving around a bed, a high pitched noise echoing through the air and a crushing sense of loss.

"You…" Narra muttered, leaning back to look at Prince Tarble, whose face was covered in sweat as his chest heaved. He clearly felt the pain, but he remained conscious out of sheer force of will. It was truly, deeply disturbing. "May I ask… do you… have any memories of your previous life?"

Prince Tarble looked thoroughly caught off guard, "What?"

Ah, she forgot that not all species are as spiritually inclined as hers was. "There are times when a soul leaves behind stains when they undergo something called reincarnation. Nakka is such a case - she possesses the soul of the First Mother, which is why she will eventually take my place as Night Mother. These stains can present themselves as an intense feeling of deja vu," she explained.

Traces of memories were very common, more so for her race than others but it was undeniable what she had witnessed. She knew the touch of a faded memory. What's more, it stood out compared to the others and how fresh and new they felt.

Prince Tarble looked hesitant to answer for a long minute. "I used to remember a lot more, but now… I barely remember anything," he admitted to her.

"That's because stains fade with time. Your experiences and feelings cover the stains until they fade from view entirely," Narra explained. The memories were extremely faded, but the fact that they were there at all… likely explained why Prince Tarble hardly acted like a child.

Prince Tarble looked thoughtful at that. "Would… it be possible to do something about them?" He asked, looking down at his soul arm. Or, rather, her hands keeping his soul in place. She was the only one that could see the souls, both Prince Tarble's and those of the dead back on the Shield Worlds.

"What would you like done?" Narra asked.

Prince Tarble answered.

She owed him, Narra decided. For his forgiveness and understanding. And it was hardly like her daughters or sisters could think any lower of her. "My people possess a ritual that can do what you wish. It will take time to prepare it, and we must do it before we complete these engravings." Then she hesitated, "Are you sure you wish to do this?"

Prince Tarble's jaw clenched as he nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

* * *

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

So, might be going away due to several lawsuits that are likely to bankrupt the company. Which is scary as a creator. As a precaution, I've made a Subscribe Star account and I would greatly appreciate it if you are a supporter and you would like to continue to support me, then you go to Subscribe Star.

I know it's a hassle, and I am sorry if you're forced to make an account on my behalf, but it will greatly help me out. Both with my financial security and my peace of mind.

Sincerely, Ideas-Guy.


	49. Sounds of the Past

"Are you sure about this?" Narra questioned as I laid back in a chair, some weeks after having decided to deal with my half-forgotten human memories. Candles filled the room with a scent that was almost unpleasant, but very pungent. On the floor were symbols, some of which I recognized by the movement that Narra made when she was carving them into my soul.

And, so far, I had no reason to doubt that she was doing what she claimed she was doing. My right hand, the hand she had finished, was immune to magic.

I settled into the chair, thinking about it one final time before I nodded, "I'm sure. Are you?" I asked her, having learned through context clues that the ritual that she was going to perform on me wasn't done on outsiders.

Narra nodded as she took a seat next to me, a steaming cup in her hands. "I have given what you said back on Antiople a great deal of thought. I… have decided that I will do whatever it takes to end this war before Nakka becomes Night Mother. Even if it means I am vilified by my people - I will not allow Nakka to make these choices. She's not capable of it and it would destroy her."

She looked down at the steam cup in her hands for a long second. "But I am. I wish it weren't so, but I can make those choices. So I will," Narra decided, her voice firm. She looked up at me, her eyes as dark as the void of space, "This ritual you are about to undergo is an ancient one. All the members of my race undergo it. It is a right of passage, of sorts."

I peeked up, interested in the specifics. "Why?" I questioned, wondering if it was something like King Vegeta's cape flare technique - something that the creator thought was awesome and forced it to be passed down. Or if the ritual actually had some use.

"Because it opens our hearts to the planet, allowing ourselves to act as conduits for it's magics. The ritual itself… it purifies the soul. And in doing so, the magic and enlightenment create a power. For me, it is my ability to directly interact with a soul of a living being. For Nakka, she can hear the inner voice of all things."

I blinked, "So I could end up with some kind of power?" I asked, not sure how I felt about it. It was definitely the Saiyan in me that rebelled at the idea of being handed a power-up. I worked my way from the absolute bottom, I pushed myself to create every technique, and going on a magical trip inside my soul was going to grant me a special power?

"It is a possibility. In truth, we are misusing the ritual. Instead of searching for enlightenment, we are dealing to deal with the remaining memories of your previous life. It is said that the gifts are bestowed by the planet, but that is unlikely to be the case. If it is enlightenment, then you are unlikely. If it's the magic, then I would say that it is likely," Narra explained, her gaze drifting to my hand. The one immune to hostile magic. "The exact nature of the gift is determined by a variety of factors such as personality, heritage, but, in your case, given the engravings on your hand and the type of magic your soul has already been exposed to… I expect it will be some manner of resistance."

Mulling that over for a moment, I gave a slow nod. "It doesn't matter. If I get a power then I get a power. Either way, I need to deal with my memories while I still can."

"Are you ready to begin?" Narra asked, holding out the steaming cup for me to take, already knowing my answer. Wordlessly, I grabbed it and took a quick glance at the deep amber-colored liquid before lifting it to my lips.

A bitter taste washed over my tongue but I swallowed it all the same until the cup ran dry. Passing it back to Narra, I could feel the heavy substance pool heavily in my stomach. And there I felt a warmth pool that slowly spread outwards. My eyelids grew heavy, the sound of Narra muttering in her native language that couldn't be translated grew distant and I could feel a warm blanket crawl over my mind that plunged me into the depths of unconsciousness.

I felt my body enter a deep sleep but my mind was just barely aware. Aware enough that the sound of Narra speaking was the only thing I could hear.

"Prince Tarble, you must picture yourself. Your face, your hair, your height, scars and clothing. Picture yourself standing in front of you," Narra spoke and I obeyed. It was easy enough given how often I was seeing pictures of myself for promotions or TV shows.

A short child-like body. Short spiky black hair with a lock drifting down between my equally black hair. Defined arms and legs wrapped in a blue body undersuit with my armor over it. Black and white armor with the family royal crest over my heart. Underneath the suit and armor were scars. A long one across my torso, a line of pale flesh, with another two that nearly intersected around my shoulder - each over cutting into my heart. Another on my thigh, that one from Bardock, with a few others scattered about from six years of near nonstop combat.

"Now I want you to step into the body that you have created," Narra continued. I saw the body I created in my mind and put myself inside of it, so I saw through its eyes. It was surprisingly easy. I'm guessing because of the magic and tea. "Once you do that, I want you to tell me what you see."

I looked around in the fake body for a moment, "I see darkness. It's everywhere."

"Do you see anything in the distance? Anything at all?" Narra asked, making me frown. I looked around myself, trying to find a spot that could be called 'in the distance' and apparently found one. A speck that slowly grew, taking the shape of a familiar ship. The flagship to the fleet.

"I see Mom's flagship," I said.

"Fly towards it. Enter it and tell me what you see," Narra instructed. I obeyed, flying up first then towards the ship. Steadily it grew larger until it utterly dwarfed me in size. The ship itself was ugly as ever - a massive brick with guns slapped everywhere on it. The image was only reinforced by the full gray coloring. The ship didn't have a real name - Mom called it Flagship and no one bothered to challenge her on the name.

Finding an airlock, I floated towards it. To my surprise, the doors slid open as I neared, letting me inside. As the doors behind me closed, the one in front of me opened, ignoring the entire repressurizing process. Stepping inside, I saw familiar gray hallways. If anything was different, it was that the gray floor and walls were cleaner.

"I'm in the ship. It looks normal," I told Narra.

"I want you to walk through the hallways. Tell me what you find," Narra said, her instructions becoming rather vague. But, at the same time, she was in her element and I was out of mine, so I obeyed. I picked a direction and started walking, looking for something that would strike me as odd or worth mentioning.

I stepped through a doorway, and only instead of seeing more hallways like I should have, I was in the mess hall. Well, one of the mess halls. A large open room, roughly a hundred yards long and about half of that wide, completely filled with tables that were attached to chairs. But, more noticeably, those chairs were filled. The 501st sat and ate while a projector screen used one wall to display the show Hero-force. I saw Elery screaming for blood at the front, only this time she was joined by dozens of others.

"I'm in the mess hall. The 501st is here," I told Narra, looking around the place. I saw Mom winning an eating contest against Fasha. Oddly, Vegeta was there watching. All the while Broly was laying on a pile of food, his stomach overstuffed so that it strained against his armor, as he stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression that could best be described as victorious.

"Do you see anything out of place? Something that clearly doesn't belong? Something that you don't recognize?" Narra questioned, making me frown as I glanced over at Vegeta. He had never stepped foot onto the ship, but, for that matter, neither had Bardock. I found the scarred saiyan leaning against a wall, the Team gathered around him as they talked, slight smiles on their faces.

As my gaze searched the mess hall, my eyes landed on a creature that I didn't recognize. Four legs, white fur with black streaks and spots intermixed with a hint of brown thrown in. A snout shaped face, floppy ears, and a bushy tail while blue eyes looked at me with excitement. Its tail bounced, thumping against the floor-

A dog. I was looking at a dog. After six years, after seeing so many other species, I had forgotten all about dogs.

The dog got up, its mouth opening as it panted in excitement. I thought it would come up to me, but instead it turned and walked away towards a door that wasn't supposed to be there. The door opened and closed behind the dog.

"There was a dog - a pet animal. It left the room," I told Narra, my feet bringing me towards the door.

"Follow it," Narra ordered as I neared the door. Like with the dog, the door slid open, revealing a long hallway. Far off in the distance, so far I could barely see it, was a door on the other end of the hallway. The dog looked over its shoulder, somehow meeting my gaze despite the incredible distance that separated us, before it walked through the door.

I walked forward, my lips pressed together into a thin line. A sense of unease filled me as I walked, a pressure bearing down on my shoulders that made each step more difficult than the last. Even still, I kept walking, accepting the challenge and pushed through it to reach the door. Time seemed to stretch and warp until it was impossible to tell how long I spent walking. It could have been second or it could have been days.

I hadn't felt that sort of timelessness since way back when I was in the tank for three years.

But, eventually, I reached the door. Only this time it didn't open for me. The seal of the door stubbornly remained closed. My eyes narrowed as I reached out to the door, wedging my fingers into the seam and began to pull and I felt pain. An odd pain - almost as if it was a distant echo, an echo of agony, but half-forgotten. And I was used to ignoring pain so I simply pried the door open.

Light seemed to refuse to enter the room I exposed. There was only an inky black darkness that seemed to swallow everything that it touched, yet it refused to spill forward. Instead, I stepped into it. I felt it wash over me, robbing me of my sight and sound. My heart lurched in my chest, but my feet continued to move forward, aimless in my destination, but there was a certainty with the action that I would eventually arrive at it.

I felt a wet nose pressed against my hand, something brushing up against my side. It should have scared me, but it didn't. Of its own will, as if it was a practiced action, I reached out and placed my hand on top of the dogs head. My fingers scratched at its ears and its neck and I could feel contentment radiate off the dog.

Rascal. His name was Rascal.

Rascal led me through the darkness, taking me towards a speck of light that pierced through the heavy fog of black. Slowly, the light grew closer, forcing the darkness around me to be dyed various shades of gray until it was pure white. Following Rascal, I found myself standing in a white room. Utterly featureless beyond the corner marks that showed I was standing in a box.

Letting go of Rascal's fur, I turned around to see a person was standing behind me. A mop of black hair, a too-thin face with dark blue eyes peering at me. He seemed to drown in his baggy clothes, pictures, and names that weren't familiar to me. He looked young. Very young. Beyond his first growth spurt, but not his second-

A teenager. On the young end… old distant memories surfaced, pulled up to the surface by relevance. Fourteen. The kid in front of me was fourteen.

I died pretty young, didn't I?

Rascal left my side, walking over to the person… the previous me and curled up at his feet. The previous me sat down in a beat-up looking office chair that hadn't been there a second ago, lazily petting Rascal with a hand while his other was stuffed in his hoodie pocket.

I couldn't remember his name. My name. The one I had before I was Tarble.

"So… not sure what I did to get reincarnated as a Saiyan, but that's pretty cool," He said, offering up a hesitant smile, looking unsure of how to start. "And reincarnation is a thing. That's… a thing."

"Are you aware?" I asked, wondering exactly what was going on. Was I actually talking to the past me? Or was he just some kind of representation?

"Sorta," He shrugged, looking away from me and focusing on Rascal. Why could I remember his- my… the dog's name and not mine? Or his? Or whatever? "That magic stuff that the lady is pumping into us kinda… pushed all the pieces that were left together to create me."

"So we're not the same person," I ventured, making Him give a hesitant nod.

"No. I know what you went through, sort of, but it's like watching a movie. It's not the same as experiencing it myself. What happened when we were human, those memories, that's who I am. Who you are." He answered, glancing up at me before quickly looking away.

"Huh," I muttered.

"So, what now?" He asked, petting Rascal's stomach to the dog's enjoyment. His tail thumped a million times a second, his tongue sticking out as he constantly shifted as if he wanted his entire stomach petted at once. "We cross the streams, merge together, or what?" He asked, looking up at me.

I didn't know. Until this moment, I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to do about my human memories. Only that I wanted to do something with them. As the years ticked by, the memories of my human life grew fuzzier and fainter. At the start, I had remembered nearly everything, but now… now all I could really remember was my dog's name. I had been running out of time to do anything about the memories, so I jumped at the opportunity to do something.

I looked down at my hands for a moment before I looked Him in the eyes. I didn't recognize Him. Not in the slightest. He didn't look like a warrior. Too skinny and he was too open with his expressions. He…

He wasn't me.

"You're… who I used to be," I told him, silently coming to a decision in my own mind. I wasn't human anymore. "You aren't me."

"Yeah?" He said, sounding caught off guard by my revelation. The more I spoke to him, the more I looked at him, the clearer that became. He, whoever he had been, wasn't me. Not anymore. Too much had changed. I had changed. Six years later and we were completely different people.

I took a step forward, a knot of tension that I had carried for the past six years eased out of me while my hands curled into fists. He looked at me warily, glancing down at my fists, and that wariness quickly turned to fear when his gaze met mine. He must have seen it in my face, realizing what decision I came to.

"Hold up-"

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," I interrupted, my voice hard. Rascal looked up, looking confused why the belly rubs had stopped before he looked at me and let out a low growl. "Without you, I probably wouldn't have made it past my first mission."

"What-"

In a blur, I crossed the distance between us and buried my hand into his chest. He scrambled back, falling into his chair as his hands tried to rip my hand free. He looked at me with eyes filled with horror and confusion, as if he couldn't possibly understand why I was doing this. And he couldn't. He was human.

And I was a Saiyan.

Memories flowed into my head, but I felt a strange sense of detachment as I saw them. As if the memories belong to someone else rather than me. As if I was watching someone else's life rather than mine. Memories of sitting in a room that reeked of antiseptic and bleach, watching a woman waste away on a bed until the harsh sound of her heart monitor flatlining echoed.

Memories of a man walking out and leaving behind a crushing sense of abandonment. Only for that same man to come back after the woman had passed, claiming that he had changed… only to bring immeasurable disappointment when he proved that he hadn't.

No wonder I was so desperate to have a family. Queen Teach, King Vegeta… they were my second chance at a real family.

I pushed the memories away, sifting through them to find things that were useful. Techniques, information, and the like. All the while, He clawed at my hand in his chest, trying to push me away while Rascal bit down on my leg, shaking his head back and forth as he tried to protect his master. I found a surprising amount - most of it would be useless, but I took hold of it all the same. Ripping my hand free, I yanked out the memories and they took the form of a small white ball.

He fell back, clutching at his chest while the white ball was crushed in my hand, the memories flowing into me. Becoming my memories.

"Why?" He hissed, glaring up at me with hate rather than fear. I was glad for it. It proved that even in my previous life, I wasn't a coward that begged for mercy. "Fuck you. Thanking me and stabbing me in the fucking chest, fuck you, you fucking piece of shit," He spat at me.

"I think it's time I stop pretending like I'm still human," I said, walking towards him. He tensed and Rascal still bit down on my leg, trying to whatever damage he could. He was a good dog. Slowly, I reached out and placed a hand on the top of his head and scratched behind his ears. The action made him pause gnawing up at my leg, enough so that I could withdraw it. I snapped once then pointed where I wanted him to go, and he obeyed, returning to his master's side.

"It doesn't have to be like this, you know," Not-Me said, sitting up and petting Rascal when he neared.

"It does," I refuted. I had changed too much. I was a Saiyan, a prince and a general. What little I had in common with my human life was long gone. We weren't the same person anymore. Not in the ways that mattered. "You know what I am."

"A monster," Not-Me spat. And he wasn't wrong there.

"A general," I told him, looking back at him. "I was already the commander of the 501st. And I'm leading the other Saiyan recruits. Now I'm going to be leading over a million people into battle. Making sure that they make it back home is my responsibility." I corrected him. He didn't sneer, but he glared. He was pissed. Even still, I saw that he realized where I was going with this.

Not that he was willing to let it go that easy. "You got every single redeeming feature you have from me," he accused.

"Probably," I agreed. "I wouldn't be standing here without you. But I am here. I'm a general in charge of over a million of soldiers. I'm fighting a war that keeps finding new ways to be more horrible. And that war isn't going to end. Not for years. Maybe not for centuries." My eye narrowed, meeting his glare, "Maybe you're capable of handling that. Maybe you're not. But I'm not going to risk lives on maybes. Not when I don't have to."

There laid the divide. I was a General. I would be whatever I had to be to end the war. I would do what I had to do.

I couldn't afford to compromise my judgment. I couldn't afford a risk of what happened at Rockoroad. I couldn't afford to flinch at the price that had to be paid in blood for victory. I couldn't afford to balk at what I saw... and what I would do. Because other people would pay the price. My family, my team, the 501st, the recruits... someone would pay the price.

"It does," I refuted. I had changed too much. I was a Saiyan, a prince and a general. What little I had in common with my human life was long gone. "So, thank you for all you've done for me so far… but this is where we part ways. You aren't me and I'm not you."

A door materialized before me and I stepped through it. The door vanished behind me, sealing away the human memories forever.

"Goodbye."

* * *

"That's me!" Elery shouted, pointing at the screen that clearly showed herself. Yet, as she looked at Olaive, Kakarot, and Broly, all she saw was doubt. "We have the same name!" Could it be any more obvious?!

The show in question was Hero-force and the latest episode introduced a new character. Her. Princess Elery.

"Yeah… but she's a princess, and she has a mask and a cape and stuff," Kakarot noted, sharing a look with Olaive before both shook her head. She wanted to punch them both in the face. How could they not believe it's her?

"I am a princess," Elery corrected, wanting to clear that up. She couldn't care less what that idiot Vegeta said about it. She was a princess. "And we have the same scouter!"

Broly looked like he was barely paying attention in favor of watching the newest episode of Hero-force. It had been pretty annoying having to deal with his constant questions about it, especially when he asked them during the show, but now he was silently enjoying it. He had even been impressed by her collection of action figures.

"She's Prince Tarble's little sister though. So unless your brother is Prince Tarble, then that can't be you." Olaive pointed out, making Elery go very still as she considered that. That… made an unfortunate amount of sense. Was it really not her? Was it really just a coincidence that the new character shared her names?

Or… unless… her older brother… was Prince Tarble of the Hero-force?!

Elery gasped, all the pieces coming together in her brain all at once. She grasped the sides of her head, her jaw-dropping as the realization settled heavily on her. Brother was Prince Tarble. They were the same person!

"He is!" Elery turned to look at Olaive and Kakarot, who simply blinked at her outburst. "My brother is Prince Tarble!" How was it possible? It didn't add up! Brother was leading armies and stuff while Prince Tarble was flying around being a hero? How was it possible that he was in two places at once? Had he discovered some sort of technique that let him split himself in two?

She had to learn that technique. With it, she could put a Not-Elery in her place when she had to do boring stuff while the real her could go do fun stuff.

"You're just saying that because you want Princess Elery to be you," Olaive pointed out, making Elery scowl.

"It is me!" She argued, wondering why that was so hard to understand. It was clearly her and Brother was Prince Tarble. Why couldn't they just accept obvious facts? "Let's go find Brother so he can tell you," Elery said, going to fly to wherever Brother was, only to be stopped when Broly finally spoke up.

"What about the episode?" He asked, looking between her and the screen, clearly torn on what to do. Not that he needed to be because he made a really good point. Elery nodded, taking a seat with Olaive and Kakarot to watch the rest of the episode. It was a fun one - Not-Her kicked a whole lot of butt and the Reach ran away scared.

She wished she got to fight the Reach. Brother hadn't let her or any of the other kids to go fight on the Shield Worlds. Elery never even got to see the surface of the planet, much less fight the Reach. That was super annoying, but when Brother became Not-Brother, she hadn't argued the point when he said that they weren't ready for that battlefield.

Elery was already able to enter the second level of the Wrath State, but she couldn't control it very long. Kakarot could, and so could Broly, but she was doing better than most of the other kids. But it hurt. It really, really, really hurt. More than cutting off her tail, which had grown back. It hurt more than that by a hundred.

It made learning that the Wrath State had ten levels really scary.

But Elery managed to extract a promise from him that they would get to fight on other planets, so she guessed it was okay.

Once the episode had finished some minutes later, Elery grinned from ear to ear as she grabbed hold of Kakarot and Olaive to prove to them that Brother was also Prince Tarble. "Come on," She ordered, impatient to rub her victory in their faces. They obeyed, getting up and Broly did the same.

Flying up, the four of them raced through the halls, intent on finding Brother. However, as they flew, Elery saw a gray-skinned alien being cornered by a couple of other saiyans. They pushed her around, making her fall. Normally, Elery would have flown right by without a care. But when she saw the funny looking alien curl up into a ball, a thought struck her.

What would Princess Elery do?

So, she drop-kicked one of the kids in the face. He flew back, flying away thanks to her momentum. With a wide smile on her face, Elery fell upon the two others. One managed to block a punch with her forearm, but she was unprepared for Elery to slam her head into hers. As a loud thunk echoed through the halls, Elery punched her in the stomach before slinging her into the remaining saiyan boy, who looked like he had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"In the name of Justice, Elery of the Hero-force commands you to stop!" Elery shouted, planting her hands on her hips as she puffed out her chest, mimicking the words Not-Her had said.

"Why'd you do that?" One of the boys snapped, wiping his bloody nose on the back of his white glove. "If you wanted to fight then you shouldn't go sneaking up on people!"

"It's called an ambush! They happen in Hero-force all the time," Olaive pointed out, earning a confirming nod from Elery. That made the three Saiyan's eyes widen. Elery knew that look of pure panic.

"You missed the new episode," she informed somenly. "But they're going to be playing a rerun soon," she added, offering them hope when they looked disappointed.

"Awesome!" The three of them cheered, flying up and heading to the mess hall that they had just left, leaving the funny looking gray alien alone. She stopped being a coward and looked up at them fearfully. Elery really didn't get aliens. Even if you got hit, why wouldn't you at least hit back?

Then she blinked, "Ah! You're a member of that species with that alien that took out planets!" Elery blurted excitedly. She had been trying to find them to ask how they did it, but they were never anywhere to be found.

The alien flinched badly, which was really weird. "I… My Mother did that! I-I would never-" She started, making Elery frown.

"Why not?" Olaive questioned, sounding just as puzzled as Elery felt. And that seemed to make the alien really confused.

Elery nodded, "I would totally blow up planets if I could. Like that Frieza guy," she added. She couldn't wait until she was strong enough to start blasting planets left and right. Though, at that, the funny looking alien looked really scared and curled into herself like a coward. "Your Mom is really tough and cool. Why are you being so wimpy?"

The alien at least glared at her for the insult, "Because what she's doing is wrong. You don't understand, Mother… Narra… she destroyed their souls." She explained as if that was supposed to mean anything to her. It didn't.

"So?" Kakarot voiced their opinion, tilting his head at her.

The alien's lips thinned as she forced herself to stand, "It's wrong." She insisted like that was a reason to not do something.

"It's war," Elery argued. "Brother says it's a really good thing that your Mom's magic is so strong because if it wasn't then a lot of people on our side would have died."

"Maybe it would be better if we did," the alien argued with a shake of her head. "I would rather die than do anything like that. Narra went against everything that-"

"I don't care," Elery bluntly interrupted, startling the alien. "If you don't want to do those things, then go die on your own. Don't kill everyone else because you're afraid," Elery told her, making the alien flinch. Just like that, Elery felt her interest in the alien dry up. Maybe she would have better luck with Narra about teaching her how to take out planets.

With that, Elery flew up and Olaive, Kakarot, and Broly joined her, leaving that weird alien behind. They darted through the hallways, flying over the aliens that filled the 501st and the army. Everyone seemed to be really happy, Elery noticed. Ever since they came back from the Shield Worlds.

There were also a whole bunch of saiyans flying around with them. Some fighting and arguing or challenging aliens to fights.

"Tarble will probably be at the tech lab. He's been there a lot since he became a general," Kakarot pointed out, making Elery nod. From what Brother had told her, he was getting a fleet designed just for his army. Elery didn't really care for the details, but knowing Brother, the fleet was going to be super tough.

They shifted their destination, heading towards the tech lab. The doors slid open, revealing a white laboratory that was segmented with thick walls and thicker glass layered with forcefields. A place where the aliens in the 501st could tinker with stuff. Elery didn't really get it, but they seemed to enjoy it.

Elery spotted Brother walking next to Technician, a hologram of a ship before them. She beamed, darting over and slamming into him as hard as she could. Brother didn't even flinch, and in a split second, Elery took her rightful place by hanging off his shoulder.

"Brother, you're Prince Tarble!" She informed him, wondering why he had never told her.

He gave her a small smirk like he was laughing at a joke that only he seemed to understand.

"Yeah, I am."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	50. Sense of Family

I haven't heard from Vegeta in three years, ever since we last saw each other on Planet Vegeta, and the silence was telling. Ever since I joined the royal family, I would get the occasional message or call, usually in response to me, but in the past three years, there was only silence. Any attempt to contact him went unanswered. Perhaps it was simply a case of him being busy, but giving the timing of the silence, I couldn't believe it.

It was weird technically being in charge of an empire. Even if most of the territory in my empire were desolate planets that were being terraformed into various kinds of planets. I followed the guide that Ada'la had provided me - listings of what various planets would be best suited for from mining to food or energy production, to entertainment. It was going to be a couple more years before the planets were done terraforming, but things had changed greatly for the Saiyan race.

And for me as well. King Vegeta had gone dark as well, and I could only assume it was in response to the special privilege that was granted to me. I couldn't even ask him about why he had tried to kill my team after years of gathering my thoughts on the subject. Both of them had practically shut me out and there was nothing I could do about it.

King Vegeta was the King of the Saiyan race, but I held several dozen planets under my power.

I wasn't sure if I was even a prince anymore.

A sigh escaped me as I pushed myself up, my arms struggling with the simple task. A puddle of sweat underneath me proved that I had been at the task for some time. Push-ups. One of the few pieces of knowledge leftover from my time as a human. Push-ups, crunches, squats, and other exercises to keep a flimsy human body in shape. All were made fifty times more difficult when the gravity was increased by fifty times the galactic standard.

Despite the pain in my arms, I continued to do push-ups, no longer bothering to keep count but pushing myself to the point that I simply couldn't do anymore. My tempo was steady, my breathing even as rivers of sweat dripped off of me with each movement, my undersuit soaked with it. Even it was working against me, the weighted fabric felt like it weighed… a ton because it actually did.

A disk of light was above me, controlling the gravity within its circumstance. It had taken me a year to get a handle on the technique. A year of studying gravity and how machines could produce it artificially. The biggest hang-up was keeping it leveled while I was distracted - without paying much attention, it could grow more intense or weaker without me noticing. Three years later, I was still hesitant to call the technique complete, but it could be used and that's what I wanted.

My arms burned with effort and I hit my limit. Instead of stopping, I increased my pace of pushups, forcing myself to go further. Swear flew off my face, the pool beneath me expanding, and only when my arms threatened to give out from underneath me did I stop.

I flipped over, moving away from the puddle of sweat, and started to do sit-ups.

"Prince Tarble," Ada'la spoke in my ear. I resisted the urge to reject the call, knowing what she was about to say. I didn't simply because I knew that she would keep calling until I did answer or, worse, show up in person. "We're about to leave slip-space and you're booked for a VIP visit," she informed and I bit back a groan.

"I'll be there," I told her, ending the call and dismissing the disk that hung overhead. Instantly the gravity returned to normal levels, and I couldn't feel lighter. I swallowed my annoyance at before forced to greet random aliens who wanted to gawk at me, especially when I wanted to continue training or anything else that was a vastly more productive use of my time… but I couldn't.

Because, even if neither my brother nor my father were speaking to me, I was in the best position to complete the plan. My influence across the Trade Organization. I was on merchandise, the three shows about me were all in the top ten most-streamed shows in the entire Trade Organization, and I was being hounded by important people for this or that. So, I would grit my teeth and force my way through meet and greets, ad placements, commercials, and so on.

Whatever it took to free the Saiyan race and complete King Vegeta the First's plan.

Turning towards the shower, I washed off and put on my normal attire, including the cape. I got used to wearing it, and I liked the added weight. Technician had done a nice upgrade on my armor - it was now weighted, and my scouter didn't permanently dye my vision red anymore. My cape weighed about a hundred pounds with another two hundred spread out across my body. Small things that slowly helped me build up my strength with the lack of worthy opponents.

A door opened and I saw it was Matillo. He bowed as a greeting, "My Prince," he started as he looked down at me, "Off to… shake hands?" He questioned, and I swallowed another sigh as I nodded. None of the others saw a point in what I was doing, not even Mom, but as always I could count on Matillo to have my back.

"Yeah. I don't know who it is though, but with the level of secrecy and pull the person has, I'm guessing a Board Director," I said, leading the way to the command from a small training area that was made for my personal use. Time had proved that it was a necessity. I used specialized equipment to help me gauge the effectiveness of techniques or monitor things to let me fine-tune it beyond what instinct was capable of alone. When I left them in public training areas, they kept getting broken.

"Another one?" Matillo questioned, understanding who I was rubbing elbows with. The Board of Directors were some of the most powerful people in the galaxy even if none of them had any physical abilities. They helped Lord Frieza rule the Trade Organization, and each one could be considered an emperor with the vast stretches of territory they controlled. Each one oversaw a sector that specialized in a certain field like pharmaceuticals, or food like Slurm Cola.

And in the past three years, quite a few of them have tried to endear themselves to me. Some had more success than others.

Like my fleet, for instance. Smaller than most but it was tailor-made to my and my tech support's requests. Twenty-five ships, each equipped with a slip and wink drive, and enough weaponry that I would feel comfortable fighting twenty-five hundred normal Frieza-force ships. All courtesy if a Director named Vril Dox. Apparently my career was one he had watched closely since Rench, and he had ships being built for me ahead of time.

I still wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"Probably. Can't imagine why else they would make it a secret," I said, walking through the halls of my ship. The flagship of my fleet - given what it was capable of, the name the Devastator seemed more than fitting. The ship itself was designed to house the 501st with various other features like a stasis bay. Given how much time we spent in slip-space, where seconds of real-time were days in slip-space, a significant portion of the crew chose to enter stasis to avoid losing years of their life.

Only a handful of long-lived species, like Avery or Ada'la, or saiyans remained awake. It wasn't something that I thought about often, mostly because it never really seemed feasible or relevant, but I was going to live for thousands of years. I had Technician and Narra look into Matillo's lifespan, mostly to sate their own curiosity, and they found there was a direct connection to strength and lifespan.

Roughly every thousand pl was a century added onto a Saiyan's natural lifespan of about eighty years.

I was going to live for around five thousand years if I didn't grow any stronger. And I was absolutely going to grow stronger. If anything, whatever years I would inevitably lose in slip-space would more than be made up due to training. It was just something odd I thought about every once and a while.

We walked through the halls and I let my mind wander. Children saiyans flew through the air, chasing each other and fighting. They barely paid Matillo and me any mind as they passed us. Most noticeably was the fact their eyes were blazing yellow.

The past three years had been filled with progress. The saiyan recruits were growing stronger with each fight, most of them had reached stage five with the Wrath State, and there had only been a handful of casualties. More than that, they were developing their own techniques. Some barely used the ones that I taught them anymore.

"They're ready," I commented to Matillo, who made a noise of agreement. "With the average power level being around two thousand five hundred, we can look to moving some squads to more active roles in combat." For the past three years, the Saiyan recruits were stuck in support roles, much to their displeasure.

The few casualties that there were over the years were mostly caused by a Saiyan child deciding to ignore orders to fight. Sometimes entire teams. And that fact didn't go unnoticed by others. But, my kind sought challenges, regardless if they were too much, so I implemented much more attainable challenges to occupy them until they were ready.

"Elery will be overjoyed," Matillo agreed, a small smile in his voice. He wasn't wrong there.

As if she had been summoned, I felt Elery's presence rush towards us. Over the years, my range for my ki sense grew until it covered the entire ship. So it was easy to keep track of Elery. She rounded the corner, her face set in a scowl.

"Did you see a bunch of idiots fly by here?!" Elery shouted, her expression demanding blood and suffering. She looked the same as she ever did, if only slightly bigger now that she finally entered the positives in terms of age.

"That way," I said, jabbing a thumb over my shoulder. Elery blew past me, her presence powerful amongst the others. Elery was always powerful for her age, but as time passed, she grew into her strength. Amongst the tens of thousands of children that were attached to my fleet, Elery was among the strongest. Olaive remained her rival, Kakarot was just behind both of them. Broly, on the other hand…

Broly remained in a league of his own three years later. And I wasn't sure if that was ever going to change.

"Elery has proven herself worthy of a leadership role amongst the children," Matillo said once we were out of earshot. As we walked, there was the occasional crew member or soldier that made their way to the mess hall to get something to shake off the stasis disorientation. I gave the words some thought before I nodded, having thought much the same.

"She has. Her squad has moved on, and it's time to have those that were educated to be leaders step into their roles," I agreed. It was clear who had received that education in the tank. Olaive was among that number, and so were the rest of the hundred I had taught years ago. "They've done well with being the leaders of five man squads, but it's time to scale up. Let's start at twenty five and see how they handle that."

"I'm guessing our next target is a soft target to test them," Matillo questioned, sounding like he thought he knew the answer. And he did. Whenever I tested something or changed a strategy, I preferred to try it out on a soft target first. So my troops could get used to the change before testing them out on a harder target.

"An ocean world. Well, it was before the Reach froze it over," I confirmed with a nod.

"What will this one be turned into?" Matillo asked out of ideal curiosity. I think he was still mystified by the concept that all of the damage done to the planets could be undone with technology.

"A food production planet, I think. Ada'la said that there were a bunch of fish based species that were renowned for their taste. Apparently, we can bring the species back by finding bodies and using them as a genetic base to clone them." As well as edit out some traits to make it easier to mass produce the species. I didn't like it - if anything, we should be making the species larger and stronger with gene editing, but I understood that was my Saiyan instincts talking. Gene editing was incredibly expensive and if we did what I wanted, then we would never recoup the losses spent.

And money, now that I was in charge of dozens of planets in various degrees of terraforming, actually had use.

"Hm," Matillo acknowledged as we walked. An announcement made itself known through the intercom as the stasis pods were forced open. Warning that we had ten minutes before we left slip-space. We made our way to the command deck in a comfortable silence.

We arrived to find that Ada'la was already there, looking as impractically dressed as she ever did. Her dress changed every day, and she never wore the same thing twice. The only thing her dresses had in common was that they were impractical for combat.

"Greetings Prince Tarble, I hope you're excited for our latest opportunity," Ada'la said, sounding like she was excited enough for the both of us. I simply nodded, wishing I had spent the time I would be stuck waiting training, but knew better than to say anything. "I've done my best to figure out who our mystery VIP is and I've narrowed it down to a few choices. Virl Drox is a likely candidate given your previous history, but there are also a few others. Likely factions trying to lure you to them."

I swallowed a sigh at that. The further up the ranks I climbed, the more divided the Frieza-force seemed. The Board of Directors was divided up by factions that were determined by specializations in production - weapon manufactures teamed up with armor producers and tech developers. Pharmaceuticals unionized with food exporters. Slavermongers with any kind of production that was manpower intensive.

Worse, absolutely every single faction was not only competing against the others but they outright hated each other. The only thing keeping them from declaring war against each other seemed to be Lord Frieza. And Lord Cooler, given that his half of the Trade Organization seemed to be Lord Frieza's direct competition.

"We're exiting slip-space, so brace yourself for normal time," The admiral of my fleet said, a yellow skinned alien with three sets of eyes to give it a near three-sixty view around himself. His warning was unnecessary since there was no real side effect to leaving slip-space, but I'm told that Admiral Shen liked to think of himself as funny.

A second later, we left the slip-stream portal at our designated coordinates. There was no planet in the immediate vicinity, but the system we found ourselves in was absolutely filled with asteroids. Mineral rich asteroids, so the Reach were fighting tooth and nail to remain in the asteroid field and, worse, with so many places to hide it was next to impossible to completely root them out.

"We were just pinged by friendlies," the admiral informed us. "But given that the Frieza-force encryption is utter shit, I'm keeping shields up. Any movement?" He asked while a hologram of the surrounding area appeared. There were asteroids everywhere - there had once been planets in the system, but something had destroyed every single one of them. Now they were an asteroid belt that surrounded a red sun, and it stretched for billions of miles around.

Several pings were marked on the map. A video feed displayed them and my eyebrows quirked up when I saw that the ships were attack balls. Six of them in total. They moved in sync from behind an asteroid, moving towards our flagship. I-

As the attack balls moved closer, it felt like I was hit in the face with a planet I was suddenly so disoriented. I stumbled a step back, swaying dangerously just from the presence that washed over me. Any trace of moisture vanished from my mouth - it was impossible to compare the presence to any other I had felt before. If the presence of my team, some of the most powerful people I had fought beside, could be described as a candle flame then this presence was a sun washed over me.

"I'm going down to the docking bay," I informed, turning around and flying off without another word. Grim determination filled me as I flew right through the door, my hands curling into fists as my mind raced faster than my body did. Ada'la said something in my scouter, but I didn't hear her. The presence was bearing down on me, muting every sense as an overwhelming sense of danger slammed into my brain again and again.

I tore through entire floors, letting the repair drones do their work, in order to arrive before the attack balls did, wanting to confront whoever the presence was in as favorable terrain as I could. Whoever they were, if it came to a fight then I would need every advantage that I could get.

With my cutting corners, I arrived at the docking bay just in time to watch as the attack balls landed. I stopped in front of them, my eyes trained on the one that contained the monstrously powerful presence, so powerful that they others were swept up in it. I could barely feel them, and at this close, whoever the presence belonged to - I could feel the weight of their strength pressing down on me.

The door cracked open to reveal a black and white alien that I recognized instantly. Neatly trimmed hair, a clean shaven face with black markings that surrounded his eyes that glowed red.

Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu force.

His eyes widened dramatically before he darted forward so quickly it was as if he had teleported. He reappeared some feet away, his arms spread out in a T-pose while one leg was curled up and angled so it went across his waist with his foot pointed to the side. "I am Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu squad!"

A crack of blue lightning filled my vision and thundered in my ears, a second alien appearing behind Captain Ginyu. "Burter of the Ginyu Squad, fastest person in the universe!" A large blue reptilian alien informed, blue lightning cackling of his body. His arms were pointed towards the ceiling, one arm stretched out while the other was bent.

"Recoome of the Ginyu squad," Recoome shouted, matching Burter's pose behind Captain Ginyu. A large alien that looked like a Saiyan without the tail and a spot of red hair on top of his head.

"Bardock, vice captain of the Ginyu squad," I heard a familiar voice inform and I could barely believe it as Bardock struck a pose directly in front of Captain Ginyu, his arms pointed directly down at an angle. He looked as he ever did, minus a scar that slashed through his shoulder with a small gap between the muscle. His hair was still ridiculous as ever, he still wore his black armor without an undersuit.

But, more than that, he looked strong. And alive.

Bardock offered me a small smirk, clearly enjoying my dumbfounded expression at the sudden reunion I hadn't expected at all. But I could dwell on it for long as the remaining two members of the Ginyu squad introduced themselves.

"Jeice of the Ginyu squad," Jeice, a red skinned white haired alien informed as he posed directly before Bardock, his arms fanned out upwards to form an X with Bardock's as he crouched.

"Guldo of the Ginyu squad," the smallest member of the Ginyu squad proclaimed, striking a dramatic pose before Jeice. He was around my size, a large green head with a set of much larger eyes at his temple, flanking a set of normal sized eyes.

I looked at them all for a second, so dumbfounded by what I had just witnessed that my control over ki sense slipped. And the moment I wasn't bombarded with a sense of overwhelming power, it let me gather my words.

"General Tarble," I introduced myself, torn between staring at Bardock and Captain Ginyu. "Welcome aboard the Devastator?"

Captain Ginyu let out a boisterous laugh, "It's good to see you again, Prince Tarble! You clearly moved up in the world with your numerous television series and toy lines, but you still haven't quite beaten out Ginyu Adventures, which is still the number one most streamed show in the entire Trade Organization," he said, walking over and bending down so he could slap me on the shoulder. I blinked as he dislocated it, but that didn't stop him from continuing to slap it as he let out a laugh that sounded faker with every passing second.

"I'm surprised you remember me Captain Ginyu," I confessed. I met him very briefly years ago.

"How could I ever forget the person that has been Employee of the year for five years running? I thought I would have a chance with my high risk missions and Bardock being on my squad, but I should have known better!" He started laughing again really loudly and it sounded extremely fake.

I… didn't think he liked me very much.

"...Right," I hedged, that pressure that had nearly suffocated me still fresh in my mind. I had always known that Captain Ginyu was powerful, but feeling that pressure… the only thing I could think to compare him to was Lord Frieza, and that was deeply unnerving. "But what brings you here? Are you escorting the VIP, or…?"

Captain rose, coughing into his fist, "My apologise for getting ahead of myself - I and the rest of my squad are on a top secret mission," He said in a stage whisper, his voice echoing through the docking bay simply because of how quiet it was. "You specifically have been requested by Lord Frieza himself. The nature of the mission isn't something that could be spoken about over scouters."

"The Cooler-force hasn't advanced an inch since the war began and it's clear that Cooler won't step in," Bardock spoke up, crossing his arms as he looked down at me. I could feel the weight of his gaze, the expectations he was putting on me. After years of being a commander, then a general, I was accustomed to the weight. "Since you're the Shield World expert, Frieza wants us to lend a helping hand."

That would mean completely abandoning the front I was in. Putting all of my plans on hold, possibly for years.

"The Shield Wall," I said, speaking the name that was given to the front that kept the Cooler-force at bay for the past nine years. A string of Shield Worlds and other defensible planets that repelled invasion after invasion after invasion. Hundreds of billions had lost their lives trying to break through that Wall. A Wall that was manned by a Reach alien named Koter Ve'sk.

"That's the one," Bardock confirmed.

"Naturally, this task will take some time. I understand if you're unwilling given your special privilege," Captain Ginyu began, pausing when I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. I could use a challenge," I decided. "The situation on this front is… sustainable," I explained with some hesitation at Captain Ginyu's surprise that I was willing to drop whatever I was doing to go halfway across the galaxy to fight in another front.

"Sustainable?" Bardock questioned, prompting me to look up at him. It was so weird seeing him again after all these years. We had exchanged messages and spoke around once a year, but that was it. The nature of the Ginyu force meant he was deep in Reach territory causing trouble, so it wasn't easy to keep in touch.

"The momentum on this front isn't going away. Ever since I got my privilege to own planets I take, that seemed to spruned the entire front into action to take planets before I could. Doesn't work most of the time, but it's made commanders and generals rather… reckless with their armies," I said, putting it lightly. Each planet for the other forces were utter bloodbaths on both sides. "It's gotten bad enough that most forces in this front are using clone armies."

And, at the end of the day, clones were expendable. They were mass produced and cheap. Most wouldn't live to see the end of the year without seeing a Reach soldier. Most weren't smart enough to do anything more than point their gun, shoot, then die.

The commanders were reckless for profit. And it was working. I still didn't know how I felt about that.

"Do you just need me?" I questioned, looking up at Captain Ginyu. He nodded, so that simplified things. "Then let me pass things over to Tora so he can execute my invasion plans while I'm away."

"Of course!" Captain Ginyu said, walking forward. "I'll let the two of you catch up and make your preparations, General Tarble."

I looked up at Bardock and he cracked a smirk as he reached down to thump me on the head. I let the blow fall, feeling overjoyed at the action that used to piss me off. "You did good, Tarble," he said. "I left the team in good hands."

A warm feeling entered my chest. A feeling I hadn't felt since King Vegeta accepted me into the Royal Family.

"It wasn't always easy, but I got everyone through it. Kakarot and Gine are here too," I informed, turning to walk with Bardock. "How have things been on your end. You seem stronger," I remarked, looking up at what I could only describe as my mentor. The man whose shoes that I had to fill.

"I'm not the only one," Bardock deflected. I reached out with my ki sense, limiting my awareness, and felt Bardock's strength. He was strong. Extremely strong. But, I guess fighting beside people like Captain Ginyu would do that. Then he let out a chuckle, "But I'd probably be dead by now without the Wrath State. And the Medicine Ball," he admitted, giving me a pointed look. I guess it wasn't a shock that he figured out I used the Power Ball as the base for the technique.

I smirked right back at him, "I'm going to be disappointed if you didn't come up with something in the past five years."

"Then you'll be disappointed. I've learned my lesson about using techniques around you. Let you steal and repurpose another one of my techniques? Fat chance," Bardock shot back, sounding amused. It… felt good to talk to him like this. For the first four years of my life, I just nodded and obeyed whatever he said. And one of my greatest regrets in those four years was how I had simply gone through the motions, spending months sleeping instead of connecting with my team.

"I prefer the term improving," I replied, making Bardock huff. Then he sighed.

"The Shield Wall is going to be a tough nut to crack," he started. "You sure you're up for it?"

I nodded, "I'm sure. The biggest issue with Shield Worlds is stopping them from self-destructing. With the Ginyu squad hitting the Shield Worlds, we should be able to handle it easily enough."

Bardock cocked an eyebrow at me, "That's a lot of confidence." He noted, and I agreed with him there.

"I've been following news on that front for some time now. Lord Cooler isn't committed to the war at all," I stated. "The invading forces that he uses are bottom rung trash and the fleets are repurposed junk. Stuff that would be salvaged and sold as scrap. Which he does. Lord Cooler is making an insane profit from the war by doing pretty much nothing."

While the Frieza-force was losing money. War was expensive and while the Frieza-force could afford the expenditure, there was no question whose numbers looked better.

"But I'm hoping to divide the Reach. Right now, my front is the only one making significant progress. And because of it, the Reach is willing to throw everything that they have available to slow us down. We punch another hole in their defenses, and then those resources get divided." I explained my reasoning as we walked.

Bardock nodded, "That's what the Ginyu squad should be used for, but we're stuck doing deep cover missions behind enemy lines. Which isn't bad. We get to fight some of the prototypes and new tech, but with powerhouses like Ginyu and Burter… feels like they're wasted on those kinds of missions."

I went to respond, but I was interrupted by two people rounding the corner.

"Bardock?" Gine spoke softly, coming to a stop as she nearly ran into us she moved so fast. Her eyes were wide, a tremble in her voice as a hand went to cover her mouth. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, seeing Bardock for the first time in nearly ten years.

"Gine," Bardock returned, a gentleness in his voice that I had never heard before. He closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her, a soft breath escaping him while his shoulders seemed to straighten, an unseen weight lifted from them. He held her for a second before he pulled back, gathering himself. His gaze shifted over to a child with a matching hairdo.

Bardock's smile grew by a fraction. "And you must be Kakarot," he said, dropping down to a knee before his son.

Kakarot looked up at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Dad?" He questioned, almost sounding unsure.

I watched the scene for a moment before I walked away, giving them their privacy. While Bardock said hello to his family…

I would say goodbye.

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	51. Sense of Conquest

"No." Elery decided with a shake of her head, "No. If you're going then I'm going too." The tone that she adopted was a familiar one - the one that she used when her mind was already made up and there was absolutely nothing in the world that could change it. I wasn't surprised by it. The exact opposite really.

"Would you want to leave Mom all alone?" I asked, making Elery flinch as she turned a wide-eyed gaze to Mom, who looked down at the both of us. Her gaze flickered to me, telling me she knew exactly what I was doing. And she also knew that I wasn't in a position to refuse even if I wanted to. It could be phrased however Captain Ginyu wished, but I was being ordered to go to the Shield Wall.

"No… no," Elery repeated, pressing her lips into a thin line. "You have to stay or-or, we could all go with you."

"Afraid not," Mom said, crouching down and placing a hand on top of Elery's head. "We have our own job to do. Your big brother left a bunch of really important plans for us to take care of while he's gone." She said, deciding to back me up. Neither of us was surprised by Elery's behavior - it was the first time she was going to be separated from either of us. And, well, I could acknowledge that we had spoiled her rotten.

Elery looked at me with doubt-filled eyes, prompting me to nod. "I have several invasion plans that I need you and Mom to take care of while I'm gone," I confirmed. It was the truth too. Given than they would be conquering the planets in my name, they would still be owned by me. I had a line of soft targets scheduled out for them, and alternatives if one of my rivals sniped one before they could arrive, and several hard targets.

"How long are you going to be gone for?" Elery questioned, perking up ever so slightly at the prospect of invading planets.

That, I didn't know. "However long it takes to break through the Shield World," I admitted to her. "I'll try to do it as fast as I can, though."

"But how long will it be? Like, a week?" She questioned, looking for an exact time frame. "If it's any longer than a week, then you'll miss the next episode of Hero-force and Hero-force: Next Generation." It never got less weird watching an animated version of yourself fight people and things you had actually fought, and they got the details wrong.

"Like… a year," I corrected, wincing internally when Elery's face fell. I didn't add that was being generous. Technician forwarded me the reports of battles and invoices for what the Cooler-force was selling and buying. The be kind, they were using utter garbage. That would be a difficulty in itself. So, a year was a generous estimate of how long it would take. My realistic one was about two years. Possibly three.

Simply because while taking a Shield World was entirely possible, but holding it would be another thing entirely.

"A whole year?" Elery questioned, her face scrunching up.

"We can still watch your shows together. Technician will take care of that. I just won't be here in person," I reassured. Elery still scowled, not liking that in the slightest. But there was nothing to be done about it. "You'll barely know that I'm gone and I'll do my best to come back as soon as possible. I promise," I swore.

Elery still wore a scowl that became more of a pout with every passing second, but she gave a slow nod when I promised. She put a high value on them to the point that she never broke one to me and expected me to do the same to her. And I would do everything that I could to make sure that I did keep that promise.

Though, the solemn moment was almost ruined when Elery floated over me so that she could hang off my shoulder, regardless of the fact we were the same height now. Mom looked like she was swallowing a laugh at the sight, but she changed the subject to spare Elery's pride. "Are you taking anyone?" She questioned, wanting how much of our strength would be reduced.

"A small support team," I confirmed. Despite what I was heading into, I was by far more concerned about what my absence would mean for others. A rival commander could see it as an opportunity to strike at my budding empire and family. I couldn't afford to weaken them too much.

I had a shortlist prepared, "I'm thinking Shugesh and Matillo from my Team along with Broly." Then I added, "Tora would take command of the 501st in my absence while Avery would command my ground troops." I was a General now, so I had my own army. They weren't the same quality as the 501st, but they were good soldiers that I did my best to look after. All one million of them.

Altogether, there was the 501st that could be considered an army of their own. There were the hundred thousand Saiyan recruits that could be considered an army. Then there was my actual army. On top of that was Mom's army with our two fleets combined. Stealing three Saiyans shouldn't diminish our fighting strength much.

Elery growled at the idea I was taking Broly and not her, but I accepted her ire. Broly needed an excuse to start to reveal his true strength. Already he was considered a prodigy in terms of strength, but that was barely revealing a fraction of his true strength. This was the perfect opportunity.

"Alright," Mom accepted before she reached down to ruffle my hair. "I'm sure there will be plenty of powerful opponents waiting for you. Plus, I doubt Frieza would mind much if you stirred up some trouble with the Cooler-force." I smiled lightly as I nodded. Of that, I didn't doubt too much.

"Keep an eye out for the Ghost Fleet," I said in place of a goodbye, knowing that this would be the last time we saw each other for a few years. In-person, at least. The Ghost Fleet was the remaining fleets from the Shield Worlds that I conquered. And given that we had chosen to seize control of the planets and leave the fleets relatively untouched, there were four massive fleets somewhere in the Reach Empire, but no one knew where.

From reports, it seemed that they joined together and had an uncanny ability to pop up where it was least convenient for a gigantic fleet to appear.

"I can handle a couple of ships with my eyes closed," Mom dismissed before she stood up. "I'll take care of things until you get back, but I'm not good with aliens like you are, so you should hurry up and break the Shield Wall." That was an understatement and motivation if I ever heard it. She gave me a small smile, "Go make your rounds. I'll see you off."

I nodded before we parted ways. With Captain Ginyu still on the ship, I was forced to use my scouter to trace my team. Even still, a number was displayed on my screen - ten million PL. The absolute maximum that a scouter could read.

More incredibly, it wasn't just Captain Ginyu. Burter had a PL of ten million as well. But compared to how utterly crushing that presence felt, I couldn't help but believe that they were both far stronger than that.

"Do you have to go?" Elery questioned as we flew through the halls towards my team, hoping that my answer had changed five minutes later.

"I do. But, how about this - if you complete all of my invasion plans before I get back, then you and everyone else can join us. It'll be a race," I said, knowing that would appeal to her. And I was right on the money. Elery nodded fiercely, about ready to invade planets all by herself.

We arrived at a mess hall some minutes later to see my team sitting at a table, crowded around Bardock. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. Like I was still a kid fresh out of the tank rather than a general and a prince.

Bardock saw me first, raising a hand to wave me over. I did, seeing everyone at the table. Elery jumped off my shoulder when she saw that Kakarot was there as well, "Bardock was just telling us what he's been up to," Tora explained.

Fasha cracked a smirk, "His stories aren't as impressive." Bardock scowled while Shugesh snickered at his expense.

"Can't be helped," Bardock admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "I was stuck being babysat for a bit until I could keep up with the others."

"What can they do?" I questioned. I had tried to research the Ginyu squad's abilities, but there was nothing on them beyond strong and fast. An information blackout.

"Ginyu is stronger I thought possible and I haven't seen anything that could seriously hurt him yet. Even when something does give him a scratch, it heals so fast you can never be sure if he was hurt in the first place. Burter is fast. I haven't seen it myself, but he says he's fast enough to run laps around planets in seconds. But I believe him. Jeice and Guldo are tied for their place - Jeice can use techniques like a Saiyan and all of them are powerful while Guldo can…" Bardock trailed off, frowning slightly. "He says he can control time, but I'm not sure that I buy that. Whenever he uses the ability, everyone friezes but we can move just fine."

I mulled that over for a second, "It could be that he controls a target's perception of time. To them, it's like time stopped, but to everyone else it's normal."

Bardock nodded, "Sounds about right. Either way, combining that with his telekinesis is a hard thing to counter. Recoome and I are tied for the weakest on the squad. He has a natural edge in terms of strength and durability, but I've spent the past five years closing that gap." Given who he was comparing himself too, Bardock was right to feel proud.

"Are you planning to fight them?" Shugesh questioned me, sounding suspicious.

"Well…," I started unconvincingly, earning some chuckle from my team. "Not just because I wanted to fight them. I need to know what they can do to take down the Shield Wall."

"Right," Shugesh said, clearly not buying it. And I couldn't blame him for that. The Scarabs, the best that the Reach could offer, had become annoyances at best. And only because of their weaponry that could ignore durability. My main increase in strength had come from three years of training, which only increased the gap in strength. The only actual challenges I had during the past three years were from my team, and even then their progress wasn't as rapid as mine.

"Do you think you would win?" Kakarot questioned, and now that they were sitting next to each other, it was clear that Kakarot was the spitting image of Bardock. And he used to say that Vegeta was a clone of my father.

"Of course he would win," Elery answered as if it were obvious. I wished I had her confidence in my victory, but I didn't. I was strong, of that much I had no doubt, but… I didn't have any technique that would allow me to close that gap in strength. I would be to Captain Ginyu what Scarabs were to me - a momentary annoyance.

"Maybe," I allowed, not wanting to start an argument when it would be the last time I saw my team for a bit. I sat at the table, savoring the feeling that came to an end all too soon. A message beeped on my scouter from Captain Ginyu.

Bardock apparently got the same message because he abruptly stood up. "It's time for us to go," he announced, and while he was speaking to the Team, it was clear that he was directing the words to Gine and Kakarot. Gine's expression fell but she picked up not a second later. Given who her husband was, it wasn't surprising that she was used to long absences.

Kakarot faired worse. His expression crumpled, curling into himself as if every scrap of happiness he ever had was just ripped from his fingers. In response, Bardock reached out a placed a hand on top of his head, giving him a familiar smirk. While he said goodbye to his family, I turned to the Team.

"Shugesh, you're coming with us. Matillo is too," I informed, making Shugesh perk up while Fasha groaned.

"Why does he get to go?" Fasha muttered, sending Shugesh a dark look. To which he answered with a wide and smug grin, too delighted for his own good.

"Because Tarble can't crack the Shield Wall without me," Shugesh bragged to doubtful looks. A small smile tugged at my lips as I didn't correct him of that notion. "Honestly, it'll be good to shed some of the dead weight around here," He remarked, sending a sideways look at Parslee, who looked like he wasn't paying attention to anything that happened.

"Tora," I said, turning to my second in command, "You have command of the army and the saiyan recruits. Don't get them killed," I ordered and earned a half-smile and a nod from the older man.

"Yes sir, Prince General Tarble," He said, using a title that was only uttered when he felt like being a pain. "And I have your plans. You won't have anything to worry about on our end." And that was a relief to hear. My gaze swept over the others to see relaxed expressions. Each of them met my gaze - Fasha, Tora, and Borgos as they nodded their farewell.

It was hardly heartfelt but that was simply because we all expected to see each other again.

"Until then," I said, rubbing Elery's hair before I left with Bardock and Shugesh. "Don't die, any of you," I added before the door closed as we made our exit. Once the doors slid shut, I let out a small breath before I continued forward.

We made our way to the hanger bay in silence - the task at hand weighing heavily on Bardock and my minds while Shugesh nibbled on a piece of jerky. However, as we reached it, I found an unwelcome surprise. Matillo was at the docking bay, along with the Ginyu squad and Broly - the unwelcomed figure there was Paragus.

I had seen very little of Paragus since I rejected his offer to place him in charge of thousands of lives. And instead of trying to prove himself worthy of that honor, he kept his head low like a coward. A rebuke weighed heavily on my tongue the moment I laid eyes on him, but I swallowed it. This wasn't the time or place to cause a scene.

Instead, my gaze went to Captain Ginyu. "We're ready to go," I informed.

"Excellent!" Captain Ginyu announced as the attack balls cracked open. "Don't worry - with all of us working together, the Shield World will stand no chance. Perhaps our shows could even do a collaboration!" He added with a laugh as he got into his attack ball.

I simply smiled in response as I glanced at Broly and Paragus. Paragus seemed as if he were daring me to challenge his right to go with us while Broly simply seemed confused. "Let's load up," I said, walking to my own attack ball that had been prepared. Everyone nodded in response and obeyed the order, me, Matillo, and Shugesh each getting our own and Paragus and Broly sharing one.

I looked out the small round window of the attack ball and saw both Elery and Mom waving at me. A small knot of tension eased it's way out of me as I waved back, staring at them until my attack ball forced me to look into the void of space. I took in a small breath, settling in my chair and prepared myself for a long trip. Attack balls were fast, but not fast enough to cross the galaxy in a reasonable amount of time-

My thoughts were interrupted when a portal appeared before Captain Giynu, whose team led the formation our attack balls were in. I swallowed a comment, figuring I should have known better than to think that the Ginyu squad would have a way around Reach FTL blockers. So, I simply crossed my arms and leaned back as we entered the portal. Unlike a slipstream portal, it wasn't a pitch-black but instead, it was filled with vibrant colors.

A message pinged on my scouter from Bardock as we traveled halfway across the galaxy. I read it and my lips tugged into a frown.

Have you heard about your brother?

My eyes narrowed into slits, dimly aware of the possibility that Vegeta could have died. It was always a possibility in battle, no matter how strong you were. I replied back that I hadn't and I wondered if I was about to receive news that my brother was dead through a message.

He's no longer apart of Frieza's personal army and he's been given the same privilege that you have. Meaning that he wasn't dead. A sigh of relief escaped me, glad for it. That… that was really good news. I was doing my part to complete King Vegeta the First's plan, but with Vegeta carving out his own empire then we were that much more likely to succeed. And since I knew that Vegeta wouldn't be interested in it, I could offer to let Ada'la help him shape his planets.

Since when? I questioned, a thought struck me.

About a year ago. Bardock answered, confirming my suspicions. Vegeta hadn't spoken to me in three years. If he was angry about my privilege, then surely that would have stopped when he got it too? Then why hadn't I heard from him or King Vegeta? Not even Mom had heard anything.

I clenched my jaw and didn't respond to the message, choosing to sit in silence with my thoughts as I waited for the ride to come to an end. In the end, the only way I was going to find out was if I saw him again so I could ask him directly. The heavy thoughts made the trip take longer, but while it felt like days, it was only hours to travel halfway across the galaxy.

A bright light filled the end of the tunnel before we exited on the other side. Looking around, I saw that we at least weren't in the same system with all of the asteroids. And once our attack balls oriented themselves, I saw a large planet that was a deep red. The same color as blood. Storms dotted its surface, and more than a few of them were large enough to envelop entire countries. Beyond the planet, I saw fleets in defensive positions as well as defense platforms.

More noticeably, I saw salvage. It drifted through space, a near wall of it that forced our attack balls to Bob and weave through the debris field. Countless ships, likely more than I had ever seen before, were scattered around the planet. All of them ruined by breached hulls or missiles. Both Cooler-force and Reach ships. Once we neared the planet, I saw massive bricks hovering in orbit as entire armies of salvagers broke ships down to either melt them for scrap or a payday if they found something good.

Then I realized I knew the planet's name, "Shipyard." It wasn't the planet's official name, but it was what it would be called by so long as it existed. This was where Lord Cooler established a massive shipyard to salvage ruined ships to reuse them or sell them.

Our ships sailed by the large salvage operation towards the planet's surface. We aimed directly towards a large spot, a large storm that was worse than it looked. The attack ball shook violently, bombarded with wind and thunder as we descended into the storm. I could barely see a thing through the window, but I could vaguely make out the shape of what seemed to be a fortress. I'm guessing the storm was a defensive measure against ordinary Reach troops.

The attack ball landed with a light thump. The door cracked open and I prepared myself to be hit with a face full of sand. Instead, I was hit with nothing. Thinking I would see some kind of energy barrier keeping the storm out, I saw that I was only half right.

Surrounding the fortress was a blur and a whirlwind as if we suddenly found ourselves standing in the eye of a tornado. My brow furrowed as I looked at the blur, trying to figure out what it was. Then I recalled what Bardock had said. It was Burter. He was running so fast around the fortress that he was creating a shield that kept the storm out. "He's fast," I muttered, knowing that feat was beyond me.

"The fastest in the universe!" Captain Ginyu confirmed, seemingly taking pride at the abilities of his squadmate. He smiled down at me, "Can't have us looking devilish by a little storm when we're about to meet Lord Cooler."

To that, I nodded, "From what I've heard, he's someone that values order," I agreed. Which is why it was surprising that he would be in a place like this, I thought as I glanced at the fortress. The place was solidly built, that much I could recognize. A central building with layered walls marked with defensive towers - it wouldn't stop me, but it would take countless normal soldiers to get through those walls.

But it looked like it was stripped and weathered by the sandstorm which had raged for who knew how long.

"Do you have any experience with Lord Cooler?" I questioned, feeling Broly grab hold of my cape as we walked. Shugesh snickered while Captain Ginyu looked momentarily lost before he nodded.

"Plenty. I've watched them grow up," He explained proudly.

"Then I'll follow your lead," I said, knowing when it was better to defer to those with more experience. If they were on good terms, then Lord Cooler would be more likely to accept our help. Captain Ginyu nodded as he led the way, I fell in step just behind him while everyone else trailed behind us. I heard Guldo make a comment about Broly holding onto my cape, but it wasn't enough to make him let go.

Even years after being surrounded by people, those years of isolation on Vampa had left their mark.

We walked into the fortress, whose doors opened as we neared. I expected to see soldiers or something, but there was nothing. Not a sound. Simply a dimly lite hallway that was a straight shot down. We walked in silence and a sense of unease entered me as I spotted a deceptively simple door. I felt a pressure on my skin that I learned to recognize that I was nearing a powerful person.

At first, I thought it was simply Burter and Captain Ginyu, but once the doors slid open when we neared, I instantly knew that wasn't the case.

Lord Cooler sat in a throne raised on three platforms. He didn't really resemble Lord Frieza. His skin was a deep violet, which made the white armor-like protrusions that covered his chest, shins, forearms, and head stand out that much more. Contrasting his deep violet skin were his red eyes, a color that was matched by skin that surrounded his eyes and flowed down his cheeks around his mouth and nose.

"Ginyu," Lord Cooler greeted coldly, and I could feel that our presence wasn't a welcomed one. Every hair on my body stood on end and my blood turned to ice in my veins. As if he could sense my apprehension, his red eyes flickered to me, "Prince Tarble."

"Greetings, Lord Cooler! You seem to be in fine health! Your father will be overjoyed to hear it - he says that you don't talk much, but I'm sure that a case of the storm. Is there a message that I could pass along to him?" Captain Ginyu questioned, greeting Lord Cooler like an old friend while I simply bowed in response. Every muscle was taut, feeling unease deep down in my gut. A feeling that I had almost forgotten.

An instinct that told me that death was nearby.

"No," Lord Cooler answered while I gestured for my team behind me to fan out a bit. Just in case. Broly still held onto my cape, so he would be fine… as much as he could be.

"Oh… well… I suppose you are at that age," Captain Ginyu continued, making me briefly close my eyes as it clicked into place why I felt death nearby. It was apparently a mistake to let Captain Ginyu take the lead. That was abundantly clear when Lord Cooler simply stared down Captain Ginyu, his gaze unblinking as he rested his head on a fist that was propped up on an arm of his throne.

The silence stretched on for an uncomfortably long time before Captain Ginyu coughed into his hand before he continued, "Your brother, Lord Frieza, has offered his services in helping you break through the Shield Wall! The entire Ginyu squad as well as Prince Tarble and his associates-"

"My brother," Lord Cooler interrupted, his tone frigid, "sends you as an insult. To cast doubt on my abilities and to show that I am unable to do anything without his help." To that, he was answered with silence. I glanced over at Captain Ginyu to see that his mouth hung open, unable to argue the point. Because I had little trouble believing that Lord Cooler was absolutely correct in that regard.

The silence that stretched on was even more unbearable than the first. Eventually, it was finally broken by Captain Ginyu muttering a quiet, "Well… I'm sure-"

My vision was filled with a purple light and I felt wind on my face. However, as soon as it appeared, it was gone, leaving with afterimages in my eyes that had to be blinked away. Yet, even with my hazy vision, I looked over to my right where Captain Ginyu stood.

And I found only a hand.

A deep groove marked the floor and it trailed all the way down the hallway that we walked down, punching through the door and destroying the ships that we had parked outside. With a gesture that I hadn't even seen, Lord Cooler killed our most powerful fighter and cut off our only method of escape. If there had to be a silver lining it was that Captain Ginyu was the only one that died.

Slowly, I turned to face Lord Cooler to see him lower a hand that he had used to kill Captain Ginyu. I found his gaze focused solely on me and I met it unflinchingly. I guess this is what I get for complaining about my opponents being too weak.

"Your turn," Lord Cooler said, his voice ringing in my ears. I swallowed thickly, feeling closer to death with a conversation than I had in a fight in years.

"Lord Frieza probably sent us here as an insult, but that doesn't mean we have to be accepted as one," I started. "Use us to make a point. And a profit." At that, Lord Cooler's lips curled up into a slight smile.

"Diplomacy from a Saiyan. Interesting," he remarked. "I've met your brother and father. That is a talent that they lack considerably." To that, I simply bowed my head, waiting for him to continue. "But there is a problem with your plan, Prince Tarble. I don't need any of you to make a point or a profit. In fact, a point that I much rather make would be to send my dear brother your heads. All too often he breaks my favorite toys, and I think it's past time that I returned the favor."

Well then. That wasn't a promising start.

"Perhaps," I said, feeling that familiar fear of danger sharpen my instincts. I took in a deep breath and centered myself before I spread out my awareness. If felt Lord Cooler's presence wash over me like I had just been tossed into the sun. It was crushing, suffocating, and awe-inspiring. But it helped me know what I was dealing with and how completely outmatched I was. "I wouldn't go as far as to say that any of us are irreplaceable, but our deaths would certainly delay the Frieza-force war effort."

"But," I continued, "by killing us, Lord Frieza will ensure that it looks poorly on you. He'll twist our deaths to say that you were jealous because your forces are lacking."

Lord Cooler let out a huff, "That is true," he admitted. "So, no matter what I do, I must suffer an insult." And… he probably wasn't wrong there.

"... Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "But if you use us then your expenditures on ships will decrease by a notable amount, which will further increase your profit margins for this quarter. Additionally, once the Shield Wall is broken, you alone will reap the profits from the venture. I officially waive any right to the planets, if it was ever in question…" I looked up at Lord Cooler to find that he was listening to my proposal before I added, "And I'm certain that you will be able to twist our presence here as an insult to Lord Frieza."

"An interesting tactic for sparing your lives," Lord Cooler noted, sounding like he approved. "I see why Frieza favors you."

"Thank you, Lord Cooler," I said, waiting for the verdict.

The third beat of silence was the worst out of the three. Each second felt like it stretched on for an eternity and a half. I could have completely believed I knelt there for that long if it wasn't for Lord Cooler tapping a finger on his armrest.

Then I felt pain in my chest. I coughed, blood erupting from my mouth and the hand I went to cover it with didn't respond. Coughing up more blood, the panicked shouts of Broly falling on deaf ears when I looked over to figure out what the problem was. It was rather obvious.

My arm was missing, but it was okay since I saw it laying on the ground next to me along with a portion of my chest. Blood pumped from the gruesome wound, flooding down my armor. The sight sprung me into action as purple light covered my hand as I held it down on the wound. The pain caught up to me a second later after the shock wore off, but I ignored it as I looked up at Lord Cooler.

He was smiling, the finger that had been tapping at the armrest was pointed in my direction. I met his gaze as I cautiously formed a Medicine Ball. After all, if he wanted me dead, then I would be dead. The fact that I only had my arm cut off was on purpose. The action got a slight smile from the Frost Demon.

"You!" Broly shouted, making what was left of my heart drop to my feet as he took a step forward. I saw his eyes spark with yellow, slipping into the Wrath State with an accidental ease. "I don't like you!' he shouted, ki gathering in his hands. I had to stop this.

The Medicine Ball became a patch over my wounded side. Muscle mass and food was sacrificed to grow replacements to the very vital organs that were just damaged. Leaving my only hand free.

"GO AWAY-" Broly started to scream, only to be cut off when I grabbed his tail and planted a knee in his back to continue to yank. He struggled beneath me, weakened but it was enough.

"That's enough, Broly," I rasped, keeping hold of his tail. My voice was enough to make him go still. That was good. I coughed, more blood rushing up my throat that I spat on the ground next to Broly. I turned to Lord Cooler, he watched the exchange with a faintly amused expression. "Please forgive him, Lord Cooler. The Wrath State is a harsh technique and he hasn't mastered it yet. He did not mean it."

Broly's, "Yes, I did," was absolutely damning.

"You owe me a favor," Lord Cooler decided, not remarking on the exchange. "I heard about how you Saiyans like scars, and that you had two that nearly formed an x over your heart. I've connected them for you. Thank me," he ordered. I swallowed a mouth full of blood as I attempted to reconnect my arm to my body with a Medicine Ball but I had no clue if it was working or not.

"Thank you, Lord Cooler. For fixing my scar, and allowing us to break the Shield Wall."

Lord Cooler chuckled. It was a chilling sound.

"You're welcome."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	52. Sense of Challenge

**This is the first time in a long time I haven't been happy with a Going Native chapter. It feels like it's pure exposition and set up. I think I was a bit too ambitious in doing this storyline in just 4 chapters, but it is what it is.**

**One more chapter and a new arc begins. One that really starts to delve deep into the DC elements of the setting.**

* * *

A video played on a tablet, showing me the POV of a Cooler-force soldier. They moved through a familiar setting of the ruins of a once-great city - rubble and broken buildings covered the streets and they moved through the shattered remains of stores that once inhabited those buildings. The video was short, cutting right to the chase of why it was being shown to me. As the squad moved through a building, they stumbled across what appeared to be a large soap bubble floating in a doorway.

The squad hesitated, the squad leader checking back for thoughts and opinions on what the bubble was. He received puzzled shrugs in response. Cautiously, he approached the bubble while the POV I watched was of his back. Like an untrained idiot, which the soldier was, he reached out to the bubble with a hand and tried to pop it.

Instead, the moment the bubble made contact with his hand, it surged forward. The man screamed as everything that went inside of the bubble was liquified - flesh, bone, metal, and plastic, and it expanded to contain the red slush that once was a person. The bubble quickly overtook his arm, then expanded down his torso - it might have expanded more if the other soldiers hadn't started shooting. Plasma struck the bubble, making it pop. In turn, a red mist exploded out from the bubble, flooding the room.

Coughing and gagging emerged from the speakers of the tablet as the squad screamed as they died, their gas masks and safety equipment proving ineffectual against the mist.

"Another new weapon," I said, my lips pressed together into a thin line as I slid to an autopsy report. The corpses looked like they had been eaten with acid, stripping flesh down to the bone but not evenly. And not cleanly. Their armor was fused to the bodies, bonded to them as both body and armor had been broken down. Without the video, I could have guessed that they had died a bad death.

"So it seems. Our current safety equipment won't be enough. We'll require a complete overhaul since the Reach has made extensive deployments of these bubbles," a general in the Cooler-force said. "They've covered strategic planets in them so full-scale invasions will have to be delayed."

Delayed. I was growing to hate that word.

"It'll be expensive-" the general warned, ready to make his case, but I cut him off.

"Dig in, but don't advance any further. We can't afford to give up the ground we've lost," I ordered, flicking a hologram onto the projected that displayed the current progress of breaking the Shield Wall. It was more than just Shield Worlds - they utilized planets and asteroids to cushion the Wall. A string of hundreds of Shield Worlds with thousands of planets. The current front I was dealing with was highlighted - dozens of planets that I intended to turn into a staging ground.

"And the safety equipment?" The general questioned, accepting the order with too much ease.

In response, I showed him a video on the projector of a battle with those same bubbles littering about. They were dangerous to be certain, but not dangerous enough I would have to spend billions of credits completely revamping the Cooler-force's armor. And who knew how much of that money would be lost in unworthy pockets.

"The Reach soldiers are unaffected by the bubbles,' I said, showing a Reach soldier walking through the bubble with no hesitation. "The reason they can is because of a thin polymer that acts as a solution to the intense acid. Weapons and countermeasures are already being deployed," I informed him, watching his expression carefully. His eyes tightened and his lips twitched.

Another general trying to profit from the war.

Was I the only one trying to end the war?

"You have your orders, general. Dig in and wait. When the time comes, you'll be informed." I told him, keeping my voice level.

"As you say, Commander Tarble," The general said with a small bow before the hologram of him winked out of view. Only then did I let myself release a small frustrated sigh as I left the small shuttle that served as my current quarters. There wasn't much in it - a tank for me to sleep in, a hologram projector, and a chair for me to hit on. It wasn't much, but it was all that I needed.

I stepped outside of my ship to see a vast crater that had once been a city. A crater that I created in my opening moment of being on this planet. A small bubble shield that was just large enough to cover my ship protected me from the elements that swirled outside. Of all the worlds I had fought on in the past decade, the one I was currently on was the worst. It looked like it was ripped straight out of hell.

The sky was on fire. Heavy red flames surged and twisted at the sky above, raining down black ash onto the ground below. The planet was devoid of life - the Reach poisons in the air did that, then a decade of pure death and slaughter on unimaginable scales turned it into a scene out of a human nightmare. Crashed ships littered the horizon, some older than others, and the only way to tell the difference was the state of the corpses around them.

"Bardock, come in," I said, securing my mask to my visor and connecting it to a tank filled with oxygen. I took out a capsule and sealed away my ship, and then I sealed away the energy projector. The elements hit me at one - the air was boiling hot, enough so that I decided that it would be best to take this planet by myself with the aid of one other. Tens of thousands of lives would be wasted if they fought here.

"This place is a time-waster," Bardock remarked, sounding like he was in the middle of a battle. I reached out with my ki sense, my range has grown considerably in recent times. It wasn't enough to encompass a planet yet, but I was nearing the halfway point on small planets like this. Which was still thousands of miles in every direction.

I felt Barock's presence, a great big flame that stood out that much more considering how devoid of life the planet was.

"Yeah, it is," I agreed. I thought as much when I read the reports about the drastic changes to the atmosphere in the past year as we approached the planet. There were significant forces placed on the planet but the atmosphere was so inhospitable that it would need expensive specialty equipment to fight here, or a high enough power level. Meaning, it was practically tailor-made for me to decide that I would handle this planet myself. "The Reach knows about the budget."

It was a secret that I had been trying to keep under wraps - a condition that Lord Cooler gave us was that we weren't allowed to go over a budget that he had established. To ensure his profit margins. And the budget was… considerably less than what we needed to break the Shield Wall.

War was expensive. I had never cared about money, or really understood the point of it, for the longest time. It was just a thing that other aliens cared about. Now it was something that I was forced to care about. Everything seemed to cost money - rations, equipment, repairs, and so on. Individually, it didn't cost that much, but multiplied by billions? Trillions upon trillions of credits.

The budget I was allocated was in the trillions. More money than most people saw in a thousand lifetimes, and it was barely more than a fraction of what I needed to wage war the way I wanted. The way I was used to.

"He's predicting my movements," I said, flying towards Bardock, only to pause when PL readings began to appear on my scouter. Mechanical soldiers judging by the lack of ki signatures. And they numbered in the tens of thousands. Looking up, I saw their drop pods race down from the sky, and whatever progress we made in taking the planet diminish.

Another thing I wasn't used to. Reinforcements. The Reach fought tooth and nail for every inch of ground we took and they did whatever they could to take it back. Before, the garrisons and fleets were isolated. When we pushed a front, they retreated to gather their strength elsewhere.

"You are pretty predictable," Bardock remarked, but the tone he said it with told me it wasn't a criticism. He didn't know my plan yet, but he knew that I had one. "I'm guessing as soon as we take this planet, another one is going to be terraformed just for you. Might even wrap a bow around it."

I launched myself towards the reinforcements, black ash marking my trail. Ki glowed in my hands as I eyeballed their reentry trajectories. The ki blasts launched from my hands, hundreds of them firing every second. Explosions rang out as I carved a path through their decent, destroying hundreds, then thousands. But I knew that it was just a drop in the bucket.

The Reach was trying to tie me down here. All across the planet, there would be drop pods. Millions upon millions. If we let them stay, content to simply park a fleet in orbit and advance, those robots would build and salvage the planet until they built an army and fleet and made that known when it was least convenient. They had to be destroyed, utterly, and quickly.

With just two people.

I was fast. And strong. Faster and stronger than I ever have been before, but until it was just me or with one other facing an entire planet alone… they had never seemed so large before.

"Hopefully," I said, flying forward as I wreaked havoc on the enemy. The robots broke like glass underneath my attacks, so very fragile but just rough enough that ordinary soldiers would struggle with them. Worse, I couldn't just blast them all away because each busted robot was salvage money. "We have more incoming."

"Joy," Bardock muttered, sounding like he thought it was anything but. "I have to admit, when I first heard we were going to break the Shield Wall, I was expecting something more than spending a year and a half destroying useless trash." He grumbled without any real heat. Mostly because he knew he was preaching to the choir.

"The Reach has limitless money, so I figure we should let them throw it at us," I offered. It wasn't going to excuse the lack of powerful opponents, but it was a gesture to show our suffering wasn't without meaning. We dig in, let the Reach throw themselves at us, then we sell the scraps.

It was because of that method that we hadn't gone over budget yet. That, and liberal use of the Ginyu-force. My personal funds were funneled into the war, and some of my planets had been terraformed so they were making money as well. With all of that, we had about half of what we needed.

"Hm. A Saiyan credit-pincher. Guess it had to happen eventually," Bardock remarked, a grin in his voice. I found myself smiling as well. "I just finished up on my end. I'm headed your way," he informed. I nodded, knowing it was because he wanted to ask something that couldn't be spoken about over coms. I redoubled my efforts in destroying the countless robots that rained down from the sky.

The Reach were real pains about it too. Instead of sending them by ship, they launched them from a nearby station or planet and let them travel the distance on thrusters. So there wasn't a convenient way to take them all out at once.

It took Bardock over half an hour to reach me. The planet was large, and we were fast, but there was so much ground to cover. I never knew how useful ground troops were at locking down the enemy until I didn't have any. Or a unit specifically picked by me for their diversity in strength that allowed them to punch out of their weight class. Or a team of powerful individuals used to working together.

I flew above a world of destruction that had seen countless battles to the point that the devastation I rained upon the Reach soldiers blended in so seamlessly it was like it had been there all along. Bardock joined me as we flew underneath a sky of fire. I sealed away my scouter into a capsule - a risk to go radio silent. I was temporarily a High Commander of the Cooler-force, and every time I looked away for a split second the entire invasion plan got kicked in the teeth.

"It's been a year and a half, Tarble. How long are we going to wait?" Bardock questioned as we flew. And despite being a year and a half, it never got less weird having him ask me what we were doing. It felt completely backward. "I know you don't want to throw lives away, but-"

"The mission, the team, then pride. I remember," I cut him off. "And it's not just because I don't want to throw away lives. We can't afford to."

Bardock let out a huff. "You're not getting annoyed because you at least get a challenge out of it. Or are you telling me you aren't enjoying the restrictions placed on you?"

I couldn't.

"It's different than when I'm leading my own troops. The tactics I used don't really work the same way, so I have to find new ones. And with the budget and the trash equipment…," I trailed off with a shrug. "A Koter seems like he's not completely incompetent like all the other Reach aliens I've encountered."

Admittedly, it was only two directly - the alien I had captured on Rench and the alien in the Prototype Scarab. But neither of those two had really impressed me. So far, Koter seemed good at slowing me down but not stopping me.

"Point still stands. You're the only one having any fun," Bardock remarked. "But from what I hear, there's nothing but delays. Do you have a time frame for how long we're going to be stuck here?"

"Got somewhere to be?" I questioned, sending Bardock a look. I guess I couldn't blame him for being a little impatient. It wasn't like I hadn't asked him to be patient for over a year now. If anything, it did him credit that he was only now starting to pester me.

"My place as the fourth-strongest Saiyan is being threatened," Bardock informed. "You're sitting all comfortable at number two, but Tora is riding my ass. I'm not ready for all the crap he's going to give me if he becomes stronger than me."

Oh. Well, that explained it. Tora was currently the seventh strongest Saiyan, just behind King Vegeta, but just weaker than Mom. Another few years of fighting weak opponents and Bardock could find himself sliding back down that list. Even if it was fake - only a handful of people knew that Broly was number one rather than me.

"Fair enough," I allowed. "But I'm playing Koter as much as he's playing me. He's focused on tying me up and slowing our advance. And as far as he's aware, it's working," I explained. Unsurprisingly, Bardock was quick on the uptake.

"So you're using his focus on you against the guy. I'm guessing that the delays in the invasion are accounted for then?" Bardock questioned, earning a nod from me. It might not be that he was focused on me specifically, but he understood that my squad and the Ginyu squad were unquestionably the most powerful active members fighting on the front line.

However, we could only be in one place at once. Even if I assigned each member to a planet, it wouldn't be enough. The only one that could destroy the Reach faster than they could reinforce themselves alone was Burter. If they were gathered in one place, it would be easy. But the Reach knew that, so they were scattered across a planet.

A ghost of a smile tugged at my lips that Bardock couldn't see. "Maybe not as much as some people think," I admitted to him. War - beyond the immediate battle and front line you fought on - all came down to clashing lines. The Reach and the Cooler-force. The Shield Wall was a line that hadn't been pushed in a considerable amount of time. The line was reinforced and established.

To push the line, first, you had to put yourself in a position to push.

Bardock let out a chuckle as we flew, heading towards our next destination. "You really have changed, Tarble," he said after a lengthy silence. "The others said that you had after I left, but whenever I thought of you, I always pictured you as the kid that would sit alone in the hanger waiting for a mission to start."

A pang of pride filled my chest at the words. Perhaps it was arrogant to say, but… I had changed a lot over the years. My human memories were laid to rest, I became a commander, then a general, and now I was a temporary High Commander. I was the second strongest saiyan alive, only behind Broly and the margin had closed considerably.

Comparing to where I started…

"Thanks," I said, pretending that the words didn't mean the world to me. I was who I was thanks to Bardock - he was something that I had to aspire to be. It was his shoes that I had to fill. I swallowed thickly before clearing my throat, "We should check on Broly to see how he's holding up." I decided to change the subject. Bardock grunted in response and I reached out with my ki sense.

I found Broly's presence easily. I adjusted my flight path and long before I saw him, I saw evidence of his fight. Larger craters in the ground, demolished terrain, and countless robots littered the spaces in between. Flashes of light marked his ki attacks as he utterly annihilated the reinforcements. Too thoroughly, meaning that we wouldn't be able to sell the leftovers for scrap, but I had anticipated that.

Broly darted around, a strained smile on his face as he laid waste to everything around him. Broly fought like an unstoppable force of nature. Ki formed in his hands and was unleashed in devastating explosions that whipped up the dust, sand, and ash that covered the dead planet. He didn't use a single technique, but as powerful as he was against his opponents, he didn't need to.

"He's doing better," Bardock observed as we both watched Broly's rampage.

Against nonliving opponents, he was. I didn't correct Bardock, but I couldn't help but to notice it. I had kept a very close eye on Broly's progress. His growth rate was utterly insane. I had made massive jumps in power, but they paled in comparison to the strength Broly seemed to gain by training and sparring.

On paper, I was the strongest Saiyan alive with a power level of a hundred thousand. My largest jump in power came after I survived the wound that Lord Cooler gave me. Even my training was more effective. I didn't know how strong Vegeta was exactly, but the last I had heard was that he was pushing sixty thousand about a year ago.

But that title rang hollow when Broly's presence washed over me in waves.

"And he's stuck at stage four," Bardock muttered in disbelief, with a shake of his head. The others had reached stage five or six, with a few others reaching stage seven or eight, but Broly was stuck at stage four.

Part of it was the secrecy around him. He couldn't practice as often and I was currently the only one that could stop him.

Because Broly was the undisputed champion of the Sayian race. Before his growth spurt, Broly had been around a hundred and seventy-five thousand. After? He was nearing three hundred thousand already.

"It's unavoidable," I agreed. "But he's stronger than me already in stage four. The only way I could overpower him would be to push myself to stage fifteen. And I'm hoping to keep that a secret for as long as I can. And you never know who might be listening," I added, a hand drifting up to my necklace.

"Pretty sure the Reach already know about pushing it beyond stage ten," Bardock remarked before he sent me a sideways glance. "But, I suppose that you have a lot more enemies than just the Reach."

"You could say that," I agreed with a slight smile.

"Lucky."

I laughed at that. It felt good.

* * *

"You're having fun with this," Sousk noted from behind him, making Koter glance over his shoulder to see his wife standing there. Unannounced. Someone had been abusing their newfound authority with her Ve'sk last name.

Koter looked down at the reports detailing Prince Tarble's progress. He had never expected to confront the saiyan in such a manner, but it truly was a stroke of luck that he was. The Prince was placed in High Command of the front that covered the Shield Wall and he was given direct control of all the Cooler-force personal and equipment assigned to that front.

And so began a game that perhaps he had been enjoying too much.

"I am," Koter admitted honestly, a rare luxury for a member of his species. "Prince Tarble is determined to make progress. It's more engaging than waiting for Lord Cooler to grow bored and demolish the Shield Wall himself." His wife strode into the room, standing next to him as she took in the information. Thousands of planets, more systems, and forces that numbered in the tens of billions.

"I meant you're enjoying your little duel of tactics with the Prince," Sousk clarified, proving that she could see right through him. It was a disconcerting feeling, but not an unwelcome one. Just different. "If you were taking this seriously, then you would have killed him already."

Koter smiled, "You're making the same mistake that I did. Underestimating the prince of the saiyans." Sousk gave him a flat look with a teasing quirk of her lips.

"Ah, you're referring to your Great Blunder," she realized, making Koter let out a small huff. The loss of one production planet hardly deserved the title of Great Blunder, capital letters. But he supposed he was hardly in a position to argue that point.

"Yes, my Great Blunder," Koter decided, accepting the name. "I thought the saiyans were beneath my notice, and for it, they got away with a member of our species and countless production secrets." With a hand, Koter rolled back the battleplans to the start of Prince Tarble's campaign.

A dark purple layer emerged, highlighting the rather considerable progress he had made considering his limitations and the fact before his arrival, at most a handful of planets would be traded back and forth. There was a reason why Prince Tarble had been placed in charge, and he had proved it thoroughly.

"He's made progress," Sousk allowed, not seeing the pattern. Koter didn't blame her like that. For years, Koter had studied Bardock using his slaves in the Board of Directors. Every mission that Bardock had ever gone on was studied and dissected. It even inspired some of his own strategies. And, like birds of a feather, Koter saw the same inspiration in all of Tarble's strategies.

Which was why he could see the pattern.

"He's created staging grounds," Koter explained, highlighting the pattern he found. A zigzag pattern across dozens of planets. "Three of them are behind our lines. Isolated and under threat of constant elimination if it weren't for Captain Ginyu, Jerice and Guldo, Shugesh, and Roccome."

Sousk gave him a cautious look, "That's because you isolated them," she ventured. And he had. He identified the pattern, what missions Prince Tarble would send them on, and set a trap to ensnare his most useful pieces on the board. For months, six extremely powerful individuals worth dozens of armies were stuck on planets. And Koter made sure that they stayed there.

"I did. I had assumed it was my own doing, but now I suspect that Prince Tarble is laying a trap. Six incredibly powerful people stuck behind enemy lines. When times with a convenient push from these points," Koter continued, excitement in his tone as he highlighted a dozen planets. Some, the Cooler-force had simply stopped. Koter had assumed that Prince Tarble ordered them to stop to avoid being cut off and budget restraints… now Koter wasn't so certain.

"He builds up his strength and does a concentrated push here, here, and here. The six that are 'contained' on those planets push. The initial push would stall - our technology is too advanced for what they can through at us. Which is why those three planets act as breaks - the push could gather itself and follow the line those six would carve through our defensive lines." Koter could see it. They would hit the Shield Worlds, and with those six leading the way, the Cooler-force would be able to break the Shield Wall.

Which left Prince Tarble, Bardock, Matillo, and Burter unaccounted for. Four very dangerous variables to leave unaccounted for.

Sousk looked at him, then the hologram, trying to see what he did. Sousk was by no means a poor admiral. Quite the opposite. But she couldn't see it. She couldn't see how the battle lines would develop over time as Prince Tarble put his pieces into place. He could. Because he had relentlessly studied his enemy and learned from them.

Prince Tarble was surprisingly patient and letting his strategy develop slowly and organically. Loose enough to account for variables but tight enough that there was a clear path to follow. All Koter had to do was follow that path and he could predict his enemy's next move.

"Then we circumvent it. We sacrifice the planets, take those few out, and his strategy amounts to nothing." It was telling that she jumped straight to sacrificing planets to eliminate those threats. Countless projects were in development, but the Reach hadn't found the answer they were looking for to deal with Frieza. It was grating because they absolutely did have the answer.

But as high as he had climbed, Koter was not yet at the top. And those at the top had decided Frieza's death. And Lord Cooler. And King Cold. And every single Board of Director and all their most powerful fighters.

A singular Scarab of untold power that would restore the glory of the Reach empire. A symbol of their strength. A symbol that would then turn on the galaxy that dared mock them.

The ones that controlled the Reach… they wanted to conquer the galaxy. They made him waste his incredibly valuable time drawing up plans to accomplish that goal when they were on the cusp of annihilation. The words had burned when he was forced to thank them.

"We could," Koter agreed. "But I doubt it would work. Prince Tarble wouldn't put them in such a precarious position unless they had a way out. There's a very real possibility that we'll just destroy the planet, they'll survive and we lose what advantage we have with his plan."

Then he turned to his wife, "Are things progressing well on your end?" To that, she smirked.

"The ghost fleet remains anonymous. There have been no notable difficulties on my end," Sousk confirmed. That was good.

Koter turned his attention back to the hologram, seeing how the front line would develop.

"Then it's a race to see who's plan finishes first."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	53. Sense of Loss

Shugesh grinned as he checked himself out in the mirror. A few scars marked his body, including a big one on his stomach where he got a hole burnt through him way back on Rench. Only now instead of the scar stretching out over a thick layer of fat that had clung to him ever since he was a child, the scar stretched over his abs. And it looked all the more impressive for it.

His goatee was growing in nicely, and without a second chin Shugesh saw that he had a rather strong jawline. He was still short, and that was always going to be annoying, but he looked good. Great, even. Better than he ever had before, Shugesh decided as he flexed his thick and muscular arms. His smile grew by a fraction.

"Fasha isn't even going to recognize me," Shugesh said to his reflection, pleased with the prospect. And that clown Parslee was in for a rude awakening. He was coasting by his initial potential, but potential meant less and less these days compared to hard work and willpower. So, not only was he stronger than that freakishly tall clown, he was better looking too.

It had been two years since they last saw each other since he was stuck on this planet. It wasn't all bad, though. It was a big reason that he managed to lose so much weight - or, rather, it was because he blew through his rations - and the enemies just kept coming so the past two years had just been one long fight.

As if to prove his thoughts, an explosion shook the ground beneath him, raining dust and bits of rubble from the collapsed building that served as his temporary home. Shugesh didn't keep anything important here, though. He learned that lesson when his homes kept getting blown up. Which was part of the reason why he blew through a decade worth of food rather than just him eating it all.

Shugesh sighed as he threw on his armor - it felt weird not having an undersuit but without an additional hundred pounds of fat, his old one didn't fit. He wasn't sure how Bardock managed it. But with it on, he stepped towards a busted out window and looked outside. The original invasion force had taken up residence inside of the city. Millions of them and their numbers were bolstered by salvaged machine soldiers from the Reach.

"Let's get to it," Shugesh said, still smiling broadly as he cracked his neck before he blasted out of the ruined building. He sailed through the air, over the busted up remnants of a city. It had been whole when they arrived years ago, but years of fighting had chipped away at its integrity. Shugesh used his scouter to find his first opponent - a Champion Scarab. Gone were the days that only Tarble could hope to face them in combat.

The power of the Wrath State flooded his veins, his eyes changed to a blazing yellow and veins bulged in his neck and arms. The pain was unimaginable, and it never lessened no matter how many times he used it, but he was in control. With new speed, Shugesh blasted forward, racing towards the massive army that moved to kick them off the planet.

Ships filled the sky, armies covered the ground in massive formations, and equipment filled the spaces in between. Shugesh ignored them. After years, he almost kinda liked some of the aliens that fought on this rock. He wouldn't steal their fight. His was the Scarabs that rushed towards him.

The grin that never left his face grew into a full smile as he dodged out of the way of a stream of blue plasma. Shugesh repaid the attack with one of his own - ki gathered around his hands before he launched two balls of it forward. When they reached the Scarabs, powerful bolts of electricity arced between the pale blue ki orbs, and each Scarab or robot that was close enough served as an orb to spread the electricity amongst their numbers.

Tarble wasn't the only one that developed his techniques.

"Haha!" Shugesh shouted, feeling like he was on top of the world as the Champion Scarab raced towards him, leaving behind a half dozen Scarabs that fell to his attack. Ki coated his hand, spreading over his forearm as he blocked a plasma sword with it before he punched the Champion Scarab in the chest, through the plasma cannon it was trying to form. Blood erupted from the wound and the scarab on its back exploded as it was destroyed but Shugesh barely felt it. "I have a good feeling about today."

He was having the time of his life. Every day for the past two years, it felt like… he just woke up on the right side of the bed every day. Every day was filled with nonstop fights and he loved it. Like all Saiyans, Shugesh craved a challenge but there was something so immensely gratifying about utterly crushing a foe that he had once struggled to fight for so long. King Vegeta's attitude made a bit more sense now that Shugesh was on the other end of the boot.

"It sounds like you're enjoying yourself a great deal, Shugesh!" Recoome shouted through his scouter, over the open channel.

"Just tried out a new technique. You're going to be in for a real shock in our next sparring match," Shugesh promised as he fell upon the invading force. Orbital bombardments slammed into the massive energy shield, but it held strong, but everything around it sure didn't. All the while ships and Scarabs surged forward, intent on overwhelming them.

In response to that Recoome simply laughed, "I can't wait to test it against my Recoome Suplex! I'll bet you three sweet-sour candies that I'll win our next bout!" Recoome taunted with excitement in his tone. He wasn't a Saiyan, but he enjoyed fighting. Better than most aliens, who all they did was bitched and moaned about having to fight.

Honestly? Shugesh was pretty fine with Frieza. Sure, it sucked being a slave, but was it really slavery when you got everything you wanted? He didn't think so. But the others did, so Shugesh kept his mouth shut.

"You're on," Shugesh responded instantly. The bets started out a lot larger at the start of the siege, but as time passed they dwindled as Recoome snacked on his own supply. Now he was a lot more frugal with them. He could practically taste victory already and it tasted -

His scouter dinged, alerting him that he had a message. The sound nearly got him killed as a Scarab seized his momentary hesitation to take his head off. But Shugesh dispatched it with ease as he opened up the message and took a moment to read it as chaos raged around them.

Oh, he knew it was going to be a good day.

"You got the message?" Shugesh asked as he flew upward, abandoning the fight on the planet. He punched through the atmosphere after securing a mask to his face. The fleet above was sizable - it was funny, in a way. Ten years ago, dozens of ships would have been an absolute death sentence. It nearly had been on that one planet that kickstarted this entire war. But that was ten years ago. And so very much had changed in the past ten years.

"It just came through!" Recoome announced while Shugesh raced towards the ships. One of them unfurled like a flower, and Shugesh grinned when he thought it was about to hit him. Because it felt so damn good to know that the Reach's first instinct to his approach was to go straight to the planet busting weapons.

Instead, some kind of shimmering light spread outwards. Not a wide-range attack either. After ten years of war, Shugesh knew an energy shield when he saw them. For the first time that day, the grin slipped off his face. His disappointment was immeasurable and his day was ruined. They were just going to put a stupid shield in his way? They were going to try to make him miss his big debut back to the Team during the invasion of a lifetime?

Over his rotting corpse.

"Do not worry, Shugesh! I, Recoome, have this covered!" Recoome shouted into his ear. Shugesh's scouter alerted him to a powerful PL that was racing towards him. Shugesh looked over his shoulder to see that it was Recoome. Some kind of shimmering aura surrounded him that came to a very sharp point where his head was while his hands remained by his sides.

He blasted past Shugesh in a blur, aimed directly at the energy shield that was meant to keep them contained. And he watched in awe as Recoome slammed right into the center of the source of the energy shield, right where it was at its thickest before a blinding flash of light nearly blinded Shugesh. Recoome screamed in his ear, not one of pain but pure determination.

"ReCOOOME DRIVER!" Recoome shouted, still clashing against the shield. But beyond the blinding light, Shugesh saw the energy shield begin to warp, twisting on itself as it tried to maintain its shape but Recoome was gaining ground. And then, without any warning, the tension snapped, and the energy shield faltered. Recoome proved the power of the Recoome Driver because, without the energy shield, he tore right through the ship that created it. A massive hole was punched through it before the entire thing exploded.

"Can't let you have all the fun!" Shugesh cheered, already planning how he would counter that technique, while he turned his attention to the surrounding fleet that just realized how fucked they were. Orbs launched from his hands, each one expanding to the size of Recoome, and they raced towards the ships.

Bolts of electricity devastated the ships, using each one as a jumping-off point to connect to another. Shugesh had designed it especially for fighting metal troops - they marched in formation and with a quick attack, he could take them all out at once and focus on the real challenges. It was just as effective in the ships given that they too moved in formation.

The lightning wrecked the fleet as the destructive technique spread outward. It wouldn't get all of them, but it would get most of them.

"I see you've bested me this time," Recoome observed as they looked out at the devastated fleet that was meant to keep them contained on this planet. Pretty much exactly what Tarble had said. And, much to his annoyance, Tarble was right about them not blowing up the planet. The Reach was afraid of Frieza. Everyone knew that Frieza couldn't care less about losses.

It was all about money to him. That's why he was reselling planets and keeping the best ones for himself. If the Reach started blowing up planets… well, then Frieza would feel the need to step in to preserve his bottom line. Or, so Tarble said. Annoyingly, he was right.

"One hundred to one," Shugesh bragged, feeling some of his previous good cheer come right back when Recoome scowled a bit. However, before he could complain about the massive lead that Shugesh pulled right out of the gate, more ships arrived. Shugesh looked over, hoping that they would be more Reach ships. Instead, he saw hundreds of Cooler-force ships wink into existence just outside of orbit.

From the look of it, their weapons were hot, anticipating a battle, only to be let down.

"You've won this round, but there are plenty more rounds to come," Recoome said before he tossed a capsule that became his attack ball. And that was true enough. The admiral of the fleet sent him a message asking that they board the flagship. Shugesh wordlessly flew over, racing Recoome there. Once they were on board, an announcement came on saying that they were returning to hyperspeed.

Walking to the command deck, he saw a familiar face standing at the helm.

"Bardock!" Shugesh greeted his old friend, making the scarred face saiyan turn around to face him. Only to not see a hint of recognition in his gaze.

"Who are you?" Bardock asked bluntly, making Shugesh go still. He had meant that as a joke. He didn't look that different, did he? Then Bardock blinked, "Shugesh? What happened to you?"

He must have recognized him by the bowl cut hairstyle that he was born with. "I've been fighting off Reach invasions for a couple of years. You look the same though," Shugesh returned as he confidently strode onto the command deck. Out of the corner of his eye, Shugesh saw Matillo leaning against a wall, his face set in an expressionless mask. Their eyes met for a moment and Matillo nodded, acknowledging him.

"At least one of us had fun. I've been bored out of my mind the past two years," Bardock said, one foot bouncing impatiently. Then he sighed, "Recoome," he greeted the towering alien that looked thoroughly annoyed when Bardock hadn't greeted him.

"So, it's finally happening." Two years of waiting for the main event to kick off. And it was finally here. "Where are we going?"

Bardock made a hologram appear on a screen, proving that Shugesh wasn't the only one that had learned a few tricks. "You, Matillo, Recoome, and me are going to Shield World 3DRXV, or planet 3D for short. Tarble is going to the Reach HQ with Broly and Burter. The others are going to get their planet. We're breaking through the Shield Wall at multiple points. The fleet will keep the other busy to prevent reinforcements, but it's up to us to really break the Shield Wall and make sure it stays broken."

That was a little disappointing. He had hoped to hit the HQ.

"Tarble's already hitting the HQ now," Bardock informed, understanding his disappointment. "And it's for the best. Cooler is there," Bardock explained, making Shugesh wince.

That was a meeting and a half. Tarble, in the end, was an absolute freak of nature and one of the strongest people that he was ever likely to meet. And he still hadn't even had his first growth spurt yet. And that freak of nature was forced to thank Cooler for cutting off his arm.

"What's he doing there?" Shugesh questioned. Last he heard, Cooler didn't leave his castle unless he had to.

Bardock shrugged in response, "I don't know. When we got ready to launch the plan, Cooler showed up and said that he was coming along. None of us were exactly in the position to argue the point."

Shugesh paused, it really settling in that it had been two years. He was only aware of it because Recoome had celebrated their second year on the planet a couple of days ago.

"How much stronger has he gotten?" Shugesh was compelled to ask. Bardock didn't need an explanation on who he meant. Instead, the hologram became a video of Tarble from over his shoulder. He faced down a Shield World guarded by hundreds of ships. Much like Shugesh had done earlier, he formed two orbs of ki above his hands. Only unlike him, Tarble had a very different way of defeating the fleet.

Because the orbs broke up into hundreds of different attacks that spread out into streaks of light that crossed the distance between him and the fleet. Each streak of light its own attack. There was one for each ship, no matter how big or small, and each one found their marks. Almost at once, hundreds of ships exploded, flooding the video with light. And when it faded, the fleet was gone.

A memory came to mind. An old one. They were on a planet that Shugesh couldn't even remember, way back when they were stuck behind enemy lines. It was a memory of Bardock absolutely beating the shit out of Tarble. Just wailing on his face until it was mush and blood. And when he stopped, Tarble just pushed himself back to his feet and kept going.

"Showy," Shugesh remarked, feeling a little numb. He knew, logically, that Tarble was in a class of his own. Even amongst freaks, he was something special.

"Very," Bardock agreed with a nod. "Now, get ready. We're going to hit the planet hard."

…

I never knew how anxiety-inducing having someone look over your shoulder, silently judging all the while, could be. Not until I had Lord Cooler floating behind me, hands clasped behind his back as he floated above the ground. Just following me around. Without saying a word. And I could see his blank expression since he didn't need to wear a mask.

When I saw Elery again, I was going to apologize. The same to all the other kids because I have never been more self-conscious.

My scar throbbed, phantom pain making it twinge. The pain was nothing, but it served as a reminder that I was in the presence of someone so powerful that I couldn't comprehend their strength. The moment he wanted me dead, I died. Any time that I lived after he made that decision would be because he allowed me that time.

I smashed through Scarabs, all too aware of Lord Cooler behind me. I knew he could easily defend himself, but I found myself limited in my mobility as I defended him on to make sure he wasn't hit by a stray missile and have half of himself deleted.

"Hm." Lord Cooler hummed, the sound echoing through my scouter as I punched a hole through a Champion Scarab before I spotted one of the prototypes. Unlike the one I fought before, it was bulked up. Thicker armor, meaning more nanites for the scarab to use.

What did 'hm' mean? Was it a good thing? Was it a bad thing? Was it going to be the last thing that I heard before I died?

It was funny, in a very unfunny way - the threat of danger came from my boss that stuck to my six o'clock rather than the Shield World before me. It looked like every Shield World I had ever seen - overwhelmingly gray, excluding what was blackened with soot or on fire, and the planet itself was covered in systematic cover.

The Bulky Prototype, which I was just going to call Bulky, launched itself at me. It darted forward, closing the distance with considerable speed, but not as fast as the slim Prototype. It curled a massive hand into a fist, surprising me. I met it halfway, Lord Cooler still directly behind me as he kept up with utter ease, and clashed a fist against the Scarabs.

I felt the bones in my arms rattle from the blow while my fist indented the Scarabs. A grin tugged at my lips despite myself, "Better," I commended. It could stand up to my fists, but what about my techniques? Ki gathered in my hands and the Scarab reacted instantly. In a blur, it launched a fist towards my face, but I deftly dodged it. Using its hand as a platform, I twisted midair and lashed out with a foot. The back of my heel slammed into the top of its head hard enough that the Scarab was sent flying towards the ground some hundred feet below us.

"Spiral Buster!" I shouted, the ki attack leaping from my hands. It shot down, punching through the Scarab's chest. As my strength grew, I found that it was better to compress an attack as much as I could - eventually, you hit a point that it can't be compressed any further, but as an attack meant to punch through enemies rather than obliterate them, it was beyond useful.

But, to my shock, the armor held. My attack washed over it, slamming it into the ground and burying it deep, but it held.

"Is it necessary to shout your attacks?" Lord Cooler questioned suddenly, making me nearly jump out of my skin as I cut off the attack.

"I-" I started, only to be cut off by a stream of red plasma that came from Bulky. It liquidized the edges of the hole I buried it in. I reacted by forming a ki disk and using it as a shield - a more advanced version of the bubble shield. Plasma washed over it, spilling over the sides, but both me, and more importantly, Lord Cooler were safe from harm.

Then I realized that I had no idea how to answer the question.

"I… sort of?" I hedged, wishing I could look over my shoulder but I wasn't so caught off guard to look away in a fight. "It's… like running - when you pump your arms faster, your feet move faster as a result."

"I've never run before," Lord Cooler responded. And what in the hell was I supposed to say to that?

"The louder I shout-" I started, only to cut myself off as the plasma surged. I pushed the ki disk forward with a push of my hand while a Riot Javelin formed in my other hand. Then I launched it at the shield, letting it dissipate to let the Riot Javelin pass. It slammed into the stream of red plasma that had turned into a focused beam of it and pushed it outward before it surged up the stream and into the source. A large explosion rocked the planet below, heat melting the surface and the robots that fought.

"You didn't shout that time," Lord Cooler observed. I didn't say it was because he made me self conscious of it.

"The Riot Javelin is a self-contained technique that doesn't require a continued output of power from me," I explained. I still didn't look over my shoulder to check his reaction. That attack wouldn't kill Bulky. There was no way. That armor wasn't for show and Scarabs have long since adapted to using their store of nanites to replace a lost limb.

"I see." Was all he said in response. Which was good. I don't think he would care for me not listening to him. Bulky proved me right and flew out of the hole I buried it in, its arm repairing itself. Missiles revealed themselves underneath the arms of the scarab and a dozen small missiles launched themselves at me.

A ball of ki formed in my hand and I launched it at the missiles as I surged forward. The ball broke into dozens of small pencil thin streaks of blue light, matching the trajectory of the missiles. On impact, they exploded, revealing a black ball that erased everything it touched. I continued to fly forward, and once the danger passed I closed the distance between us in a blink of an eye.

"Tyrant Lancer!" I shouted, gathering ki in the palm of my hand before I lashed upwards. The ball of ki formed a spearhead that rapidly spun, drilling a hole through the Scarab. The ball expanded outward, giving the spearhead more force and torque until it punched through the Scarab's back, destroying the Scarab, and sending it spinning away.

A good thing too because not a second later, it detonated. A black void filled my vision and when it faded, a massive crater marked the planet. Said crater revealed several layers of the Shield World defenses.

"Why did you call out that attack, and not the other?" Lord Cooler questioned, and I could hear the frown in his voice. "Both qualified for the attack that required additional input for you." Why was he questioning this? It was less weird now and just flat out puzzling - what did Lord Cooler have to gain by questioning how I did techniques?

"I don't have a name for the first," I admitted. I had designed it for taking out multiple targets at once. The blasts were weak, relatively, but against something like missiles they were more than enough.

"Hm." Lord Cooler hummed, not giving his opinion on my explanation. Not sure I would want to know it. Regardless, I had more pressing concerns than Lord Cooler's opinion. Arguably. Using my scouter, I took in the information of the ongoing battle for the Shield World. It was an overwhelming amount of information. I had only just barely gotten used to fighting with the 501st when I found myself in charge of a million souls.

Now I found myself commanding hundreds of millions. Not directly, but I was the guiding hand that pushed them all forward.

From the information I took in as I continued my assault, the invasion was going well. The designs that Technician had forwarded me were working wonders. Leaving me available to turn my attention downward to the hundreds of layers that made up the Shield World. And at the center of it all would be Koter Ve'sk, the one in charge of the Shield Wall. Making a decision, I gathered ki in my hands, forming another Spiral Buster.

"Spiral Buster," I shouted, using the ki drill to tear through the layers of the planet. And I shouted just to make sure I remained consistent with Lord Cooler. The ki attack did it's work well. Combined with the Wrath State, and a technique designed to punch through, the countless layers parted ways like tissue paper. And it felt incredible.

It was moments like these I felt powerful. I knew I was. At this point, I had been powerful far longer than I had ever been weak. Even if I still was compared to some, much like the Frost Demon that insisted on hovering behind me. But, at that moment, I almost felt unstoppable. Simply because I knew if I kept it up, if I really gave it my all, I could drill a hole through the Shield World eventually. It would take time, and it might take every ounce of my strength, but I could do it.

But that was unneeded. Even if part of me wanted to do it just because I could.

Cutting off my technique, the dust cleared after a second to reveal a long tunnel to the center of the planet that was inconsistently lighted depending on where I had cut through a compartment of the Shield World. With no hesitation, I darted down into the hole and flew.

"Broly," Lord Cooler suddenly spoke up. "If saiyans follow strength, then why is he not your superior?" He asked, and that was almost enough to make me stop dead in my tracks. Every instinct that I had absolutely screamed danger because no one was supposed to know that outside of a few Saiyans. How- "It was rather obvious when he attempted to attack me," he said, sensing my thoughts before he let out a humorless chuckle. "I can't recall the last time someone was honest with their dislike of me. It was almost refreshing."

There was no point in hiding it. "Because Broly is unsuited for command and he has no interest in it." And because I didn't think he could handle the burdens of being in command. Despite years of war, Broly… was almost the same. That kindness in him that I expected to be worn away with each battle was no different than it had been before he had seen a battle. He did great when up against robotic enemies, but on people?

In years, he had probably only killed a handful of people. And only in the defense of another.

"Hm. I simply found it odd. I suppose it is Bardock's influence on you," Lord Cooler remarked, and like everything else he said, I couldn't really understand it. Was that a compliment? An insult? Or was he telling me he was in on the secret and threatening me with that information? There was no way to know.

"Probably?" I hedged, wishing that the planet was half the size that it was.

"Hm," Lord Cooler acknowledged. With that, we traveled in silence to the center of the planet through a tunnel that I had made. As we neared, my scouter picked up on power levels. And I also saw that I had misjudged when to stop because the dark gray spear that I associated with bombs on Shield Worlds had been drilled into.

Instead of a bomb, it was a headquarters. Part of the large dome room was shaved away from where my attach had hit it, but it was relatively intact. I floated in, landing in the dome as glanced around just in case it really was a bomb. Holographic screens covered the walls with a large one serving as a central display. Some screens displayed sensitive information on them, but nothing that wasn't irrelevant now that we had invaded.

"It's empty," I noted with a frown. I reached out with my ki sense, trying to find something, only I was forced to abandon the attempt because of Lord Cooler's overwhelming presence. Instead, I scanned again and the few power levels that there had been were gone. Vanished. Like they weren't here in the first place. I started to fly up to search the facility for the ones in command, only to feel an explosion rock the core of the planet.

Lord Cooler let out an amused chuckle, "It would seem that they've teleported away and destroyed the teleporter. Prudent of them," he commended. I opened my mouth to argue, determined to go find the source of the explosion myself, but then I realized who I would be arguing with. Just being this close to Lord Cooler was enough to remind me of my place.

So, if he said that they got away via teleporter and blew it up, then they got away via teleporter and blew it up.

Fighting off a frown, I turned my attention back to the room. It was cleaned, the screens were mostly blank to get rid of evidence… which made a crystal tablet stand out so much as it rested on a long table that ran the length of the room. Cautiously, I flew over and picked the tablet up. The screen flared to life and I expected it to be a trap. Instead, it was a message containing only one word.

Almost.

I clenched my jaw at the taunt, getting ready to toss the tablet to the side and return to the battle, only for the screens to flash. On the main hologram projected, an image appeared. And when I realized what it was, my blood froze in my veins.

It was a map. A map of the Reach. And battle plans. Plans for an organized retreat to a red line far into the Reach territory. A red line that connected… hundreds to thousands of Shield Worlds. A massive line of red…

A line of red that marked a new Shield Wall.

"Hm. I suppose the Shield Wall is broken - the planets have been seized, the commanders have fled, and they intend to abandon what's left. Congratulations on completing your mission, Prince Tarble." Lord Cooler commended, his tone holding a sarcastic edge that was as sharp as a knife.

I did it. The Shield Wall was broken. I completed my mission.

Victory tasted as bitter as defeat… and I had forgotten just how much I hated losing.

…..

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

I think this arc would have been a lot stronger if it had two or three more chapters. I think I'll come back to this arc and some point and flesh it out. But, regardless, the next chapter begins a new arc and the DC elements become a lot more common.


	54. Feeling of Unease

Something was wrong. I felt it almost as soon as my eyes opened and the traces of sleep left my mind. The mask on my face didn't fit right and when I went to move to check it, the healing pod that I slept in felt far smaller than it should. I was hardly in danger of bumping my head, or anything, but it was like someone had shrunk my healing pod while I was sleeping.

Reaching out, I nearly put my hand through the shell when I meant to engage the draining sequence. Once the fluid drained away and the pod opened, I stepped out of it. Everything was wrong. Everything in my room had shrank. When I looked at something, my brain was telling me that I was viewing it by the wrong angle unless I was flying.

Then I looked down at my hands and saw that they were larger. The same for my body. After twelve years stuck in the same form, never growing or changing, the major changes stood out to me. My shoulders felt broader, my body felt longer… I felt like I had a growth spurt. The thought of it put a slow smile on my face as I summoned a mirror.

I looked different. Older. Some of the softness around my face vanished, and I had grown a considerable amount. The past twelve years were spent at knee height for most people - now, after over a decade, I was finally at waist height. But, oddly, little else had really changed. The scar that started at my sternum and ended at my hip was still there, just a bit longer than it had been. The two scars that were connected by Lord Cooler to form a small x over my heart were still there as well. And my hair was still in the same style.

"Hm," I grunted before I began to put on my usual armor complete with a blood-red cape. The undersuit and armor were a one size fit all, so they adjusted to my new height easily. Putting on my blood-red scouter, I saw that the time and date would still put us in slip-space. "I need to train."

I needed to adjust to my new height. My arms were longer, the same with my legs, so I needed to compensate for that additional reach. Which was why Saiyans only grew in bursts - to avoid issues of being hit by attacks because a Saiyan hadn't realized they grew an extra centimeter overnight. Though, why I had to spend the past twelve years as an ankle bitter remained a mystery.

Stepping out of my sparsely furnished room, I made my way towards the training room I made for myself. The halls were empty because of most of my army being in stasis. There were plenty that were out and about, but I ran across none of them as I walked through the halls. I reached the cargo bay within a few minutes, casually walking to adjust to the new difference in steps.

As I stood in the center of the room, I walked towards a device built into the wall and turned it on.

Instantly, I felt the gravity in the cargo bay increase by ten Gs, bringing it to the same as Planet Vegeta. After a few years of experimenting with my gravity technique, I concluded that it was something that was best left to technology. It was difficult to maintain the technique at the proper amount of Gs when you were straining yourself. More often than not, I found the number of Gs being lowered or raised when I was training depending on how much I was exerting myself.

Technician created the gravity chamber for me, allowing me to scale up to Gs that I hadn't been able to reproduce safely with my technique yet. I let out a small sigh as my body quickly adjusted to the more intense gravity. Stepping away from the command center, I stood in the center of the room and closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them, despite the fact he was there only in my mind, I stood before Vegeta. It had been six years since I last saw him or spoke to him. It was easier to find out where he had been by keeping up with what planets he took. Vegeta had expanded fast and recklessly, making the absolute most of his special privilege. He even went as far as to attack other Frieza-force aliens and seize their planets when they attempted to get in his way.

In half the time, he amassed an empire that surpassed the size of mine. Only every single planet was underdeveloped, some untouched. The few that he did bother to develop were turned into industrial worlds to support his war effort. And more often than not, to support that effort, Vegeta found himself taking supplies from others - materials, money, and personnel. I would say stealing, but Vegeta didn't exactly care about the acts of theft. Not enough to stop him at any rate, and those that did challenge him on the acts of theft found themselves dead and their possession seized too.

Either way, my brother stood before me as he had the last time I had seen him. Only this time I found that I was the taller one. By a surprising amount too. I wondered if I would be taller than him the next time I saw him? Vegeta did have his growth spurt rather early, and mine was fairly late, so he could have had his second growth spurt already.

"Begin audio," I ordered, and the speakers hooked up to the system obeyed. Several audio files started, each of them overlapping and each of them speaking about different subjects. One was an audio file teaching a minor language worth learning, another explained advanced physics, while the final spoke about spiritualism in relation to magic. Each something that I was studying so it mattered little if I learned something poorly now.

As I tried to pay attention to each of the three streams of words, I activated my scouter and it was filled with information. The details playing out a mock battle. There was barely enough room for me to see as I blocked a punch from the imaginary Vegeta and retaliated with an elbow towards his face. Vegeta ducked underneath the blow, my attention pulled in a half dozen different directions.

I was training in multitasking because in large scale battles, the kind that engulfed entire planets, the biggest issue was information. Knowing where to be, where the enemy is, what they number, and so on. It was my weakness as a general and I wouldn't rest until I had eliminated that weakness.

I leaned out of the way of a punch sent by Vegeta, the fist racing past in a blur while I help guide it away by placing a hand on the back of his fist while my other hand went to bury itself in his gut. Vegeta caught the fist, prompting me to shift my footing, bending my arm so my elbow raced towards his eye. Vegeta responded by catching the blow against his forehead instead.

A flash of light warned me to back off as a ki blast nearly sheered me in two. The only damage the surroundings suffered was in my mind. And while I was vastly more powerful than I was back on Planet Vegeta all those years ago, it felt weird making Vegeta weaker than me. Wrong, almost.

Flipping back, I blocked a flying punch to the face and countered with a roundhouse kick to his sides that he blocked with a forearm. It wasn't like my leg had actually hit anything, but my kick stopped dead in its tracks before Vegeta pushed it to the side, prompting me to use the momentum and lash out with another kick after a quick spin, this one Vegeta darted back to avoid. The moment my feet touched the ground, I launched a high knee at his face and blocked his counter.

Each movement felt easier than the last, more fluid, and natural. And it got less weird fighting someone smaller than me rather quickly. Our fists moved in blurs as the intensity of our fight increased, our footwork too fast for the untrained eye to follow. I felt myself slip into the Wrath State like it was an old glove and the Vegeta in my mind did the same. And despite it only being make-believe, a smile tugged at my cheeks because I knew the next time I fought Vegeta he would shatter every expectation I had of him.

"Tarble?" A voice questioned, making me pause the fight. I glanced over to see Tora, who was looking at me with an almost stunned expression. "With that power level, it's got to be you. You had your growth spurt."

"Finally," I agreed looking up at Tora. I was still shorter than him by half, but only by half. That was a marked improvement of nearly fifty percent.

"Huh," Tora muttered, "I guess I lost some food. I figured that you already had your growth spurt, you just didn't actually grow so you would be stuck looking like a toddler for the rest of your life." He said, thoroughly amused with the idea. I sighed as I silenced the audio and cleared up the clutter on my scouter.

I wish I could say that I was surprised by those bets, but I couldn't. My growth spurt should have happened years ago. I was just a very late bloomer. In certain definitions of the word. "I hope you lost a lot," I informed, earning a grin from Tora.

"Does anyone else know?" He asked as he strode forward, unbothered by the increased gravity.

I shook my head, "Not yet. I figured I should get used to the differences before I accepted the challenges." I didn't want anyone thinking that they could get a lucky shot in.

"Have you checked your power level yet?" He asked, and I hadn't. It was odd, in a way. For so long, I had nearly obsessed over making that number climb higher and higher. Once I reached my goal of ten thousand, then my goal was to grow stronger to defeat whatever the Reach could throw at me and keep pace with Vegeta. Now I had outpaced both by a significant margin. Watching my power level climb just felt… redundant. Especially when the only decent fight I had in years was with Broly.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm guessing I'm still in second place?" I hazarded a guess as I walked to Tora, figuring that he was here for a reason.

Unsurprisingly, Tora nodded, "But it's close," he informed. That earned a blink of surprise from me as I read the number backward from his scouter.

250,000.

"Huh," I said, slightly stunned. Over two hundred thousand. My last reading had put me at just under two hundred thousand, meaning my power level jumped around sixty thousand points. And the first growth spurt was always the smallest jump in power. "I guess Broly can look forward to learning the fifth and sixth stages of the Wrath State."

Tora let out a small huff, "I guess so. He's only a hundred thousand points ahead of you. Who knows, you could end up the most powerful Saiyan alive for real at this rate."

I shook my head, "Only a hundred thousand points?" I questioned, wondering when that gap became jumpable. But he wasn't entirely wrong. Broly's progress was limited by mine. If he went out of control, and I couldn't stop him, then no one could. Worse, Broly just continued to grow stronger - every punch he threw, every blow he took, in every fight he improved, Broly just grew stronger.

Tora could talk as he liked, but the position as the strongest Saiyan alive was forever out of reach because of Broly. But the strongest didn't mean most powerful.

"Only a hundred thousand," Tora agreed. "But you'll have to close that gap later. That Dox guy wanted to speak to you whenever you woke up," Tora informed, making me straighten a bit. Vril Dox was a member of the Board of Directors, and a patron of mine. Of sorts. The man was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. All I really knew about him was that he was incredibly intelligent - enough so that he could do the math to teleport onto my flagship while we were in slipspace, a hole in time and reality.

Technician had called that feat impossible before Vril Dox made a habit of it.

The door opening caught my attention to see the man himself striding into the cargo bay. The intense gravity didn't seem to bother him any. His skin was lime green and his hair was a golden yellow that was smoothed back. He wore a white suit that was slightly looser than the normal undersuits that were marked with armor plating, yet it didn't really look like armor. It looked like civilian clothing impersonating armor. Though, on one sleeve, he had several markings announcing his rank.

"Greetings Prince Tarble, I hope I haven't interrupted anything important," Vril greeted as he walked down the steps, his hands clasped behind his back. On one ear, he wore a white piece of plastic that was molded to the shape of his ear and projected a hard light scouter. I could probably do the same at this point, but my red visor was something that was attached to my image at this point. "But I'm afraid I have rather urgent news for you."

"I was just training," I said, a hand going up to my necklace to adjust the lantern ring that rested on it to make sure that it was still there. Vril nodded, his eyes flicking to Tora as he approached, who simply raised his hands in a careless gesture.

"I'll get lost," Tora said, knowing that the conversation was one well above his paygrade. And I knew him well enough to know that he couldn't care less about what we were speaking about. I nodded my thanks and Tora left the same entrance as Vril entered, however, I noticed that he didn't break pace as he approached. I obeyed the silent command to fall in step with him.

"Is it a sensitive topic?" I questioned, earning a curt nod from Vril before I sealed away my scouter into a capsule. His eyes lingered on the ring at my neck, but that didn't stop him from continuing as we left the cargo bay and walked in the opposite direction that Tora had gone.

"The Thangarian Empire is about to declare war," he informed, his voice causal(,) and I couldn't tell what he thought about that.

"Huh," I muttered, thinking over that for a brief moment. "I was starting to wonder if they ever would. They've been marshaling their strength for nearly six years at this point."

Virl made a noise of acknowledgment, "Their vessels are proving to be their greatest weakness. A great many of them are unhappy with the concessions to Lord Frieza, so the Thangarian leaders have resorted to less savory methods to ensure their cooperation. In any case, they have marshaled their full strength and they are ready to use it."

He looked down at me, "Lord Frieza intends to make you the High Commander in charge of the Thangarian's front." That got my attention. "I cannot say for certain what you will be given to accomplish the task, but provided that you earn it… Lord Frieza is prepared to allow you to keep that title permanently." My mind raced at the revelation as we walked through the empty halls.

I had a taste of being a High Commander back when I… broke the Shield Wall. Saying that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Even just thinking it. The Frieza-force celebrated the breaking of the Shield Wall, but they conveniently forgot that another Shield Wall had formed in its place - this one far larger and greater. Regardless, being a High Commander was a jump in the chain. From there, there was only one more promotion to go - the Supreme Commander over the Frieza-force military forces and that would place me on the Board of Directors.

"I see," I allowed, filling the silence. More than that, the Thangarian Empire wasn't the Reach. They wouldn't raze their planets to dust and ash to be a pain in the butt of the soldiers that fought to take them, and in Lord Frieza's case because he would have to terraform them before selling them. My empire was in full swing at the moment - there were planets in the edges that were being terraformed but the rest were producing. And because of Ada'la's advice and my contacts throughout the Trade Organization, my hundreds of planets were producing a great deal. "It's an honor."

"It's intended as a punishment," Vril corrected. "No one likes a rising star. The current Supreme Commander will do whatever it takes to sabotage you. You won't find any aid from the other High Commanders. You could likely find yourself fighting this entire war by yourself."

To that, I shook my head, "Not by myself."

Virl nodded in acceptance, "Not by yourself, but in every way that matters. I will do what I can, and you have done well to secure various alliances, but succeeding with the Thangarian's will set you on a collision course with the current Supreme Commander. If you don't replace him within a year of becoming High Commander, he will cripple your war effort." He spoke the words with certainty and, by now, I had learned to accept that he likely was right.

The Supreme Commander. That was the goal. Taking his seat on the Board of Directors meant I was still following through with the plan of increasing the Saiyan influence within the Trade Organization. And I would like to see Vegeta or King Vegeta ignore me then.

"I can manage that," I reassured, knowing that it was true. Despite my personal perception of my failure at the Shield Wall, the rest of the Trade Organization didn't hold that perception. Oddly enough, Lord Cooler had even sung my praises. I didn't trust that in the slightest, but it meant that I had the public support of both Frost Demons that controlled the Trade Organization. Provided that support held out and I continued to remain undefeated in the eyes of the public, I could snatch that title from the current Supreme Commander.

Vril nodded, "I believe so as well. Which is why I'm warning you of the agents for the Reach in the Board of Directors." That made me go still mid-step and I looked up at Vril with growing horror because I knew he wasn't the kind of person to joke. "There are several of them. Of the dozen members of the Board, I suspect at least six of them are agents of the Reach. Or, at the very least, they engage in selling Trade Organization secrets."

"Does Lord Frieza care?" I asked because I highly doubted that he didn't know.

"Not particularly," Virl answered with a small shrug. "Not enough to do anything about it, at least. So long as he continues to reap his rewards, he cares little about the backroom dealings his Directors engage in. Even if there has been wide-scale sabotage of the war effort. In part, I believe you and your kind have had something to do with his tolerance. Without your successes, the war would have ground to a halt and Lord Frieza would simply be throwing away money."

I had met a handful of the Board of Directors. Of the twelve, I met four personally. Vril was the only one I could say that I remotely liked or respected. And that was because he was a thoroughly unrepentant pragmatist. To think that half of them were working for the Reach…

"What's more, I believe them to be working for Koter Ve'sk. It would explain his stalwart defense against incursions," Virl continued, making me take a few quick steps so that we were walking side by side. And it was amazing how a few words could make so many things snap into perspective.

"That explains some things," I agreed. Ever since my defeat at his hands, I paid close attention to Koter. I studied his strategies, learned how he thought, and it was so very clear that he was always two steps ahead of his enemies. Ahead of me.

It was tempting to say my defeat at his hands was because of leaked Intel, but I had kept my strategy close to my chest. Koter had simply bested me.

"I imagine it would. So don't expect to find many allies on the Board. Your success is the last thing that the Reach wants," Vril explained, earning a nod from me. I had battle plans for the Thangarian Empire. I drew them up years ago, back when I expected their invasion to occur swiftly instead of bumbling around for half a decade. Then he held out a hand before dropping a small stick into my hand. "That contains relevant information to your current task."

Meaning that the Board of Directors weren't the only ones that could be bribed or blackmailed. I could guess what the datastick contained - Thangarian battle plans, fleet positions, and defensive measures. As Vril said, the Thangarian Empire employed less than savory means to get their vassal's cooperation and it wouldn't surprise me at all if one of them flipped to the Freiza-force for a better deal.

Vril came to an abrupt stop as he cast me one final look, "The war has reached a turning point. For twelve years, it's been fought between the Reach and the Trade Organization, but with your actions at the Shield Wall, there's a clear side that's winning. That will attract allies and enemies alike. Be prepared, Prince Tarble." And with that, Vril Dox tapped a finger onto his belt buckle and teleported out of the ship in a flash of light.

I looked at the spot where he had vanished for a long moment before I turned my attention to the datastick. I would be fighting against the Thangarian Empire. For years, I had wished for some variety in my opponents, and now that I had finally found a worthy adversary in the Reach, I had to divert my attention. Koter would undoubtedly use the time to muster his strength… but that was fine.

It gave me more time to study his tactics.

Even still, a small sigh escaped me. The war was growing. I saw the signs. I spent enough time as a commander and a foot soldier to see them. The Thangarian's would join the war, and when they faltered, that would spur others to lend a helping hand simply because they realized that they would be next. Leaving me to crush the Empire within a single year.

And I meant what I said. I'm pretty sure that I could manage that.

Before my thoughts could spiral, I felt a handful of familiar presences rush towards me. I looked up to see Elery turn the corner, and she was closely followed by Kakarot and Broly. Her eyes landed on me for a moment as she came to an abrupt stop before her eyes narrowed into slits. "You're… bigger!" She accused me with the same animosity she reserved for those that stole her snacks.

"I am," I agreed easily, continuing to stride forward. "Is there a reason you're racing through the halls?" Elery stared at me like she had no idea who I was.

"You're taller," she accused again, seemingly stuck on that revelation.

"I am," I repeated. My gaze drifted to Kakarot and Broly. Only the latter had undergone his growth spurt, and if his first was anything to go by, Broly was going to be an absolute giant of a Saiyan. But his demeanor hadn't changed in the slightest. "I'm tall enough that your feet won't drag when you ride on my shoulder now."

Elery sputtered, "I won't ride on your shoulder- I'm not a baby," she insisted. It was crazy just how much things had changed in a handful of years. My time spent away allowed Elery to establish her independence. It was good, in a way, but it would be a lie to say that I didn't miss her hanging off my shoulder a bit.

"Hm," I hummed as I passed them by. Elery landed in front of me, walking backward as she glared up at me.

"Who are we fighting next?" Elery questioned in the most authoritative voice she could muster. "I want to attack that Koter guy. He's had it too good for too long, and I wanna show him that all good things come to an end."

Kakarot joined in, walking next to me, "Can we get our own mission? We can handle whatever you throw at us." To that, I considered. Elery, Kakarot, and Olaive weren't rookie recruits anymore. Broly was stuck at the fourth stage of the Wrath State, but Elery had reached the tenth stage while Kakarot and Olaive were at stage nine.

And with my gravity technique and constant spars between each other, their strength grew considerably. Elery was a thousand pl shy of reaching ten thousand, Olaive was just below her, while Kakarot was bringing up the rear with eight thousand. They weren't fresh recruits anymore. Even if I did occasionally make the mistake of thinking that they were.

"We could get our own show," Olaive added with stars in her eyes. That, I knew, was a long-held dream to her. I couldn't even say that it wasn't in the cards. Ever since I 'broke' the Shield Wall, a half dozen spin-off series appeared as well as various documentaries that didn't just cover me but the Saiyan race as a whole. There were even some that were looking into the location of our lost planet Salada, but I didn't have high hopes that they would find it. At least not any time soon.

"You'll get your assignments soon enough," I told them while Broly hovered around the group. My gaze slid over him, wondering how he was going to handle our new enemy. For so many years, we had only fought the Reach. Certain justifications got easy to swallow after a while, but those justifications didn't apply to the Thangarian Empire. "Perform well, and we'll talk about each of you being assigned leadership positions."

That got their attention, making them exchange excited smiles. Elery was six years old, as were the rest of the recruits. At their age, I was leading thousands into combat. They could handle a hundred or so. Each already had their own team of five, even if the group could usually be found together. It was time to move things to the next stage, but first I wanted to see how they would fare against an enemy that wasn't the Reach.

"The Devastator is leaving Slip-space," an announcement informed over the intercom. I took out my scouter from the capsule I had sealed it in and put it back on. I was expecting an important call.

"I have to go talk about boring stuff. You're better off finding Matillo," I told the group, making them blanch at the idea of being forced to listen in on a conference call. Elery nodded before she flew up, a look of determination on her face.

"Okay! I'm going to ask him how to make you smaller again. And how to make me taller," She informed before she and her friends shot off to find Matillo. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too bothered. However, Broly lingered for a second as he hesitated to say something.

"Can… I stop hiding my strength?" He asked, and I had to fight off a frown because I had just put on my scouter.

I hesitated to answer - Broly's strength was still a closely guarded secret. And now it was a secret that was covered up for several years. I had taken him to the Shield Wall to offer up an excuse for his growth in power, but that wasn't what he was asking. He wanted to reveal all of his strength. He wanted to go all out.

"Not yet," I answered, making disappointment flash over his face. "It'll look suspicious if you suddenly reveal yourself now. Wait until you find a worthy enemy."

"But when will I find one of those?" Broly questioned, clearly unhappy but not to the point that he was whining.

For both of our sakes, hopefully soon. "Soon enough. You'll see what I mean in a bit," I reassured him. "And I was serious about the conference call. You're better off following the others."

Broly had grown in the past years. He wasn't the child that clung to me at every available opportunity. That was clear when he nodded and took off after the others instead of toughing out the boredom to hover around me. Like with Elery, I was both proud and I kinda missed him following me around everywhere.

I continued towards the command deck and the hallways filled with others as they left stasis. I saw Narra, who walked alone through the halls. After years, her relationship with her species had only worsened with the silence. They still called her Night Mother, and they obeyed her orders, but that was the extent of their interactions. By my orders, Narra became a pariah amongst her species.

Avery, Technician, and Vas helped some. As did I when I could. But I rarely saw her outside of her continuing the etchings into my soul - my entire body was nearly covered with them after a few years. And even after years, the pain of having your soul engraved never lessened.

Just as I arrived at the command deck, I got the notification that I had an urgent call. My fleet was parked in the same asteroid field where I had received the mission to break the Shield Wall. I had Technician investigate the place a bit and apparently the asteroid field produced several different types of radiation which made it extremely useful for masking a fleet's entrance or exit. The asteroid field itself was made by a planet exploding with enough force that it took out every other planet in the system.

I took my place in front of the hologram projector and accepted the call. Instantly, a hologram of Lord Frieza appeared.

"Ah, Prince Tarble. I see you've finally received your long-awaited growth spurt. I do believe you're taller than your dear older brother! How amusing," Lord Frieza greeted, his smile a tad too sharp as he spoke.

"Lord Frieza. It's good to hear from you again," I greeted in return. To that, he simply chuckled in response.

"Indeed. You are amongst the first to learn, but the Thanagarian Empire has finally stopped bumbling about and have worked up the nerve to declare war. I have an information blackout on the subject at the moment, so if you would like to make any real estate purchases or sales, I would recommend you do so now," Lord Frieza offered. And that was a great idea.

My empire was carved out of Reach Territory, but if I purchased a few planets, I could connect my empire. I could even get them at a reduced price considering no one likes having their planets acting as the front line to a wide-scale war.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Lord Frieza. I will make the most of it," I said, meaning it. "And I suppose they were bound to work up the nerve sooner or later. If they didn't, I figured their entire empire would crumble when the Thangarians proved that they were unable and unwilling to stand up to you." It would only be natural. The vassals were a part of the empire for protection, after all.

"I would say to think nothing of it, but I know you too well Prince Tarble. If you wish to repay me for this gift, then you can do it by crushing those pesky winged vermin for me," Lord Frieza said, proving Vril's words true. "I'm naming you temporary High Commander of the Thanagarian front that's just opened up since your empire and its are so very close together."

I bowed in response, "Consider it done, Lord Frieza." I spoke, earning another chilling chuckle from the Frost Demon.

"That is very reassuring to hear, Prince Tarble, but I'm afraid things will be a bit more complicated than what you're expecting," Lord Frieza added, "The Green Lanterns have made their move and they're joining the Thanagarian Empire in their war."

To that, I blinked in surprise. That did complicate things quite a bit, didn't it?

"But have no fear, Prince Tarble," Lord Frieza said before an image appeared on the screen of movement coming from around the ship. "I've brought you something that can even the scales just a bit."

On the screen was a man with Saiyan-like features except for his ears being tapered off into a point and his reddish skin. His hair was black and smoothed back, giving him a dignified look. He wore yellow and black armor with a very familiar ring on his finger even if it was a different color than the one that rested on my necklace.

Sinestro. One of the most powerful and famous Green Lanterns before he was disgraced and discharged for taking control of his home planet some years ago. And he was followed by dozens of others all wearing the same ring and the same colored armor.

Yeah. That balanced the scales quite a bit.

The Green Lanterns and Thanagarian Empire wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	55. Feeling of Anticipation

If you knew anything about the Green Lanterns, it was impossible to not know Sinestro and his story. Of the Green Lanterns of this age, he was widely considered the greatest. He might not be the most powerful, or the most creative, but his skill with a power ring was unmatched. Because of that skill and his natural leadership capabilities, Sinestro was the one who best embodied what it meant to be a Green Lantern. He was who people thought of when people thought of Green Lanterns - not the thousands of other Lanterns, or the Guardians. They thought of Sinestro.

Right up until he was expelled from the Corps, then imprisoned for taking over his home planet. Details were scarce, the kind of scarce that only happened when there was a cover-up. I knew less than I wanted to, but I knew that the timeline didn't match up.

I wanted to fight him.

That thought rang in my head like a bell as the doors opened to reveal Sinestro, wearing his black and yellow armor. A mockery of the Green Lantern Corps? Regardless, the yellow Power Ring was the real deal. My scouter offered a number that didn't match my ki sense - based on information gathered over the years, my scouter gave me a range rather than a simple number. 1 million to 1.5 million. Yet, my ki sense put him at around… thirty.

The Power Rings really were an equalizer. So much borrowed power.

"Prince Tarble, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a great deal about your exploits over the course of the war," Sinestro greeted me, adopting the same tone and words that everyone used when they met me for the first time. They were just being polite, but it got tiresome hearing the same words over and over again. However, his yellow eyes lingered upon the ring hanging off of my necklace.

"Sinestro," I returned, uncertain if he had any kind of title or not. "It seems stories of your continued imprisonment have been greatly exaggerated." I was fishing for information, something to connect the dots between being stripped of his ring and somehow leading a force of Yellow Lanterns for Lord Frieza.

Sinestro smiled thinly as he strode into the room, his gaze still lingering on the green ring on my necklace. "Quite a story. Shortly after my incarceration by the Guardians, I escaped. During my escape, I encountered Lord Frieza's forces who were planning to break me out - Our Lord wished to tweak the nose of the Guardian's, as it were. After a brief absence, where I gained my ring, I came to Lord Frieza to establish the Sinestro Corps." He answered shortly, having clearly expected the question.

My gaze lingered on the ring on his finger. "And I'm guessing that ring is different from normal Power Rings beyond aesthetics?" If it wasn't, then Sinestro was better off sticking with a green Power Ring. Not only would his actions be misconstrued to reflect on the Green Lanterns. If he gathered his own forces as he has, then he could frame it as a Green Lantern civil war.

Sinestro nodded as he came to a stop in the center of the command deck. My crew worked all around us, trying to pretend that they weren't paying attention but they didn't do a good enough job of it. Dozens of them glanced up to stare for moments at a time before they returned to whatever they were doing - not that it mattered too much. We were still parked in the asteroid field, so it was just a case of keeping our shields up.

He raised a hand to better show off the ring, "You would be correct. Unlike the ring that resides on your necklace, a yellow Power Ring does not utilize willpower. Instead, it utilizes fear," he said, quite proudly.

Huh. That explained why Lord Frieza was willing to back him. Something like a Power Ring that ran off of fear sounded right up his alley.

"Something far superior to willpower both in its effects and abundance," Sinestro continued. I had yet to see the former, but the latter made sense. In most races, willpower was remarkable because of how few truly possessed it. Fear, on the other hand, was something that everyone possessed.

Memories of my battle with Kaylark surfaced, how she fought, and how she had died. In all likelihood, Bardock and I had been saved by the Guardians of the Universe when they shut down Kaylark's ring. Even still, I couldn't bring myself to feel any gratitude towards them.

I nodded in acceptance of the answer before I turned my attention to the hologram projector. "Since you're here, I suppose we should jump right to it," I said, activating the projector so that it displayed two maps. In gist, it was the Thanagarian Empire's progress, contrasted with what their plans were. Information given to me by Vril. And, so far, it seemed that the information was reliable.

"The Thanagarian Empire has mobilized their vassal's armies first with several prominent Thanagarian leaders at the helm." It was easy to see what the maneuver was. "The vanguard armies consist of the vassal nations that dragged their feet the most in marshalling. Dissenters suffer the initial losses, weakening them, while morale is heightened by early successes. Our enemy is fighting themselves as much as they'll be fighting us."

And that was a weird prospect. The Reach… everyone, every citizen, existed for the sole purpose of bettering the Reach Empire. They completely lacked free will, so there was no such thing as infighting. Now there were dissenters who had passed this information along. There were those dragging their feet. There were those planting rebellions or wanting to flip to the enemy side.

For my entire life, I've fought the Reach. Now it was like I was fighting the Frieza-force.

"Their targets are here, here, and here - three highly defensible worlds-" I continued, highlighting the world's that the Thanagarian Empire were rushing.

"One of which is inside your personal empire," Sinestro remarked. The planet they were aiming towards was a shield world. One of the latest ones I had picked up in recent months as a part of my strategy to expand defensibly. As far as launching grounds went, it wasn't a bad choice. Especially considering that the planets it was defending were in the process of being terraformed, so it would have a clear shot at my more developed planets.

I nodded, "Which is part of the reason why I'm being placed in charge of the Thanagarian front." They had some fat to get through to get to me, but I had little doubt that they would.

"Before we begin a discussion of tactics, perhaps we should go somewhere with fewer curious ears?" Sinestro offered, gesturing to the crew around us but his gaze was on my necklace.

However, I shook my head, "No. The Thanagarian's won't hear anything I don't want them to. By the time we enact my plan, it'll be too late for them to do anything about it. More than that, I highly doubt that the Thanagarian Empire managed to plant a spy in my crew." I reassured, giving Sinestro a pointed glance. He met it for a moment before he offered a curt nod in acceptance.

"The plan is simple - we have their battle plans, so we hit them head-on and break their assaults," I said, making Sinestro raise an eyebrow at the simple strategy, prompting me to continue. "The Thanagarian Empire is a coalition of armies. We kill their momentum early, and the foundation will fracture. Those that want to jump ship will take it as a sign to, those that were sitting on the fence will tip to do the same, and the loyalists will have to drag them back to their side kicking and screaming."

Glancing at the Thanagarian Empire - I couldn't help but find it weak despite the considerable strength it possessed and how large it was. "It took them six years to muster the forces that they have. We break them now, then they won't be able to rally. By the time they can, the Empire will be done for."

"I see. Though, I suppose it's simply a question of what my Corps will be doing," Sinestro remarked before he offered a small bow. "We are at your disposal, Prince Tarble." He said, his tone completely neutral, but I could hear the unsaid 'for now.'

That was a good question. My invasion plans didn't exactly account for having a yellow Green Lanterns Corp at my disposal. But I had an answer prepared.

"It depends. What can you do?" I questioned, earning a polite chuckle and a sharp smile from Sinestro.

"Prince Tarble, if you wished for a spar, then you merely needed to ask," Sinestro said, his sharp smile growing a fraction.

Ah. He got me.

"Most non-Saiyans don't care for being so direct," I offered as an explanation. "But if all I have to do is ask - then how about it?"

Now his smile was downright predatory, "It would be an honor, Prince Tarble. However, I found that true ability is often reserved only for when something is at stake. Perhaps, would you be interested in a wager?" He offered as he looked down at me. I cocked my head, a gesture for him to make his wager, "Command of the Thanagarian front. If I win, that is the prize that I wish."

That wasn't surprising. Sinestro struck me as a person that was used to being in charge.

"Fine," I agreed easily. The reason why Sinestro was used to being in charge was the fact that he was a good leader. Even if he did take this chance to somehow weaken me, I was confident in my ability to handle whatever situation he put me in. Both as a fighter and as a general. My gaze dipped down to the ring on his finger, "And if I win, I want your ring."

I couldn't tell if it was my easy acceptance or my reward of choice that surprised him, but his eyes narrowed a fraction. Sinestro looked down at the ring upon his finger for a moment. "You wish to take command of the Sinestro Corps?"

To that, I shook my head, "No. I just want your ring." Taking command of the Sinestro Corps would be reaching too far. Not only did I lack the authority to take command, but I also suspected that Sinestro lacked the authority to wager it.

"I see. I accept your terms," Sinestro offered as he reached down to shake on it.

We clasped hands and the wager was made.

* * *

The asteroid field was our battleground. A mask was sealed over my face, but instead of a tube to an air canister, the mask had two disks on it that recycled air. They produced their own, but only in meager amounts, but because they recycled oxygen to an extreme degree, I could breathe in space for up to twelve hours.

A lesson that I had learned with the Cooler-force. I had always ensured that my troops had quality equipment, but I had learned just how deadly poor equipment could be. So, Technician had been tasked with improving our basic equipment - given how poisoning the atmosphere of a planet was the Reach's favorite tactic, improving our masks was a natural place to start.

"Are you ready to begin?" Sinestro questioned, his hands clasped behind his back as he hovered in space, a faint yellow glow surrounding him. The fleet was parked some distance away, but I knew that there would be cameras littering the area around us. Ada'la wouldn't allow an opportunity like this to go to waste.

"I was waiting for you," I returned confidently as I slipped into the Wrath State. The pain was there, and it always would be, but it was lessened. The Wrath State was trying to fit a gallon of water into a shot glass - it always felt like you were on the verge of popping because there was just too much power to fit in the container. Now, after my first growth spurt, it felt like I was now a cup instead of a shot glass.

In response to my taunt, Sinestro raised a hand and his ring flowed with a flash of yellow. I was already moving, knowing that was the sign that the match had began. A beam of light raced by me, punching through an asteroid like a hammer striking a rock, blasting it apart and sending rubble in every direction.

Sinestro retreated, his expression calm as the chase began. Ki gathered in my hands before I launched it at Sinestro as we flew past a sizable asteroid, rounding it. Beams of light fired from the ring, diverting my attacks into the asteroid. The asteroid was blown apart, submerging us in a cloud of dust.

I flew up, deftly dodging flashes of yellow that tore through the cloud of dust. Sinestro had the same idea, our gaze meeting as a construct formed. A twisted yellow hand as large as his body - it was highly detailed. The hand was made of sinew, the claws jagged and deadly, and the size was daunting. The fingers launched themselves at me, and I rushed to meet them head-on.

Dodging one, I twisted out of the way as I lashed out with a fist at another to deliver an uppercut to it. It felt like I was punched a solid wall, but there was enough force behind the blow to divert the construct. My knuckles throbbed, making my lips thin. An idea surfaced as another attempted to skewer me, the constructs working in together.

Willpower had a fatal weakness and that was fear. If fear had a weakness, then it would be… either willpower or hope.

Gritting my teeth, I imagined what would happen next as an overly large finger attempted to skewer me through the gut. I imagined myself punching it and the construct shattering into a million pieces. That image played inside of my mind a thousand times as it rushed towards me, and my hand curled into a fist. As the construct neared, I willed what I saw happen into reality and punched the construct with all of my strength.

The yellow construct shattered like glass upon contact, making a savage grin appear on my face.

"Hm. It seems we're quite lucky that the Guardians are so reluctant to offer a ring to any member of the Trade Organization. You would have made an exemplary Green Lantern," Sinestro praised, his tone even but it sounded like he meant the praise as he retreated, easily replacing the construct. "Though, from what I understand, you already rejected that offer."

I scoffed as I listened to Sinestro through my scouter, pushing the attack. "Hard to trust a Power Ring after what was done to Kaylark," I remarked, ki forming in my hands to clash against an energy blast meant to drive me away.

"Understandable. Kaylark was once my student," he informed, and now there was ice in his tone. I hadn't known that, I thought as I lashed out with a foot. I kicked the construct away this time, every bone in my leg rattling. But instead of being discouraged at the harder construct, I was nearly overjoyed.

"She was a worthy enemy," I complimented. In response to that, the constructs seemed to multiply, not all just fingers, but other kinds as well. Twisting horrors, insignificant things you almost see out of the corner of your eye. He was trying to find out what I was afraid of.

Sinestro failed to answer for a moment as we fought, darting through the asteroid field at breakneck speeds. Asteroids as large as my flagship were blasted apart, reduced to chunks and dust, as we left devastation in our wake.

Though, he eventually did respond, "That's reassuring, at least. I don't hold you responsible for her death. Her blood is on the Guardian's hands, though you have seemed to have taken the credit."

"Unavoidable. Most people mistook the shield winking out as me destroying it, and Lord Frieza had already spread the word that I was the one to kill her. I couldn't exactly contradict him," I responded, forming twin Destructo Disks in my hands before I launched them at Sinestro. He dodged the spiraling disks with ease, moving out of the way with smooth grace(,) and the attacks slammed into an asteroid behind him.

They flashed for a moment and the mountain of an asteroid split apart. Yet, one attack didn't fade. A Destructo Disk hovered behind the destroyed asteroid, lingering to be used later.

"Such is the nature of things," Sinestro accepted. He opened his mouth to continue, only to be cut off when I sailed forward, rushing towards him as I cupped my hands to my side. Forming a Kamehameha, I launched it at him to see his reaction. I had figured that he would choose to divert the bright blue beam, but instead, he avoided it. He sailed to the side, allowing it to obliterate a line through the asteroid field. The moment he was back in the clear, he continued, "I suspect an offer to join the Sinestro Corps would be similarly rejected."

"I would be politer about it," I rejected the offer as I quickly cut off the attack. I flew after Sinestro, leading him to the Destructo Disk still hidden in the dust of an asteroid. "What happened with Kaylark showed me that no matter how powerful I could become with a Power Ring, it would never be my power. It would be the Guardians."

A power that they could take away at any time. They allowed Kaylark enough rope to attempt to take out some enemies, but the moment she was ready to use the ring to kill, the Guardians turned it off. Because of it, she died. They disavowed her then swept her under the rug.

"Hm. From what I have seen of you, Prince Tarble - a Power Ring would be wasted on you," Sinestro said, his tone neutral. A construct of a snarling monster worm with a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth lunged at me, only to be shattered as I punched it in my pursuit of Sinestro through the asteroid field. It was impossible to tell if he meant it as an insult or a compliment. Given who he was, it was probably an insult.

"Thanks," I said, taking it as a compliment before I yanked my hand to the side, taking control of the Destructo Disk and sending it forward. It raced towards Sinestro's back and his ring must have warned him or he sensed it because he turned around to look at it. I saw his eyes widen as I touched down on the asteroid we flew around and kicked off of it. It shattered underfoot like glass, but I shot towards Sinestro while he was distracted.

A bubble field formed around him, the Destructo Disk grinding away at it while I clenched a fist. Racing towards him, he looked around just in time to watch me punch his shield - so much had changed since D'xe. Before, I couldn't even put a scratch on Kaylark's shield with my best attack. And now Sinestro's shield broke into pieces as my fist smashed through it.

Any triumph I might have felt was stolen away when his gaze was cold and calculated rather than shocked. He reacted well, letting the unbroken part of the shield divert my Destructo Disk, sending it flying overhead to bisect another asteroid in the distance. Then he did the surprising thing and lashed out with a fist.

His fist slammed into the side of my head, a solid blow, but Broly hit harder. In return, I shifted, bringing a foot up and planting it in his gut. Sinestro grunted as he flew backward, slamming into an asteroid behind him.

"You're still alive, right?" I asked, giving the impression that I couldn't feel his ki.

"I am. It will take more than this to kill me," Sinestro reassured as he flew out of the dust, assuming his previous pose with his hands behind his back. He looked fine, so I believed it. "But, I believe this is where we should call it. Given our foe, it would be a poor choice to continue to escalate the fight. I concede my defeat." Sinestro said with the air of a man who didn't believe that he had lost.

Which he hadn't. Or, rather, in surrendering, he snatched a true victory over him from my grasp.

My blood was humming in my veins, but I saw his point. I would be fighting plenty of Green Lanterns shortly. As much as I wanted a good fight that would push me to my physical limits, but it wouldn't do to sabotage myself here for that fight.

"I accept your surrender," I said, flying forward as Sinestro held up a hand. The ring duplicated itself, forming a second yellow ring, which Sinestro put on before he sent the original to me. He kept himself calm, but there was pain in his eyes as I put the ring in my necklace, next to the green Power Ring. "And I have decided how to best use you. Your Corps - how many are you?"

"At the moment, we number just over a thousand," he answered swiftly.

"Good. We're going to split up your forces by three, but two of them will carry the bulk of the forces. The third, the one that will comprise of you, your personal guard, and my Team, will handle a front on our own. We blast through it, then we continue on into Thanagarian territory where we raze the capital planets of as many of their vassals as possible. It'll break their trust in the Thanagarian Empire's ability to protect them."

Then I smiled a deadly smile that was lost behind my mask, "But that's top secret. We're keeping it hidden from the rank and file. I don't want to risk a leak."

With my plan the Thanagarian Empire could be brought to its knees in a month, much less a year.

Sinestro offered a thin smile, having heard mine in my voice. "Excellent. I look forward to it."

* * *

Probation Conditions have been lifted. Hal Jordan's ring suddenly announced as a spoonful of Lucky Charms made its way to his mouth. He sat on a lounge chair in his dingy apartment, a far cry from the loft that he once lived in. But a lot had changed in the past six years. Stuff like losing his job as a test plane pilot, or numerous failed relationships, and on top of a steadily increasingly crazy list of baddies to fight.

Hal looked at his ring, thoughtfully chewing on his cereal of choice for a moment, before muttering, "What?" The word was slurred on account of his mouth being half full.

Probation Conditions have been lifted. All prior functions have been Ring announced in that synthetic voice it had, sounding far too casual. He had waited actual years to hear those two sentences, and all of a sudden he heard them now, out of the blue, in his pajamas as he watched baseball reruns and ate cereal.

"Huh," Hal muttered, leaning back into his chair and nearly sloshing milk onto his shirt. He had pictured this moment for years, but now that it was here, he had no idea what to do with it. Should he look up how the War was progressing? Or was that some trap placed by the Guardians to see if they could trust him? They had already clipped his wings with their restrictions, the next time they might just take the ring entirely.

A lot had changed in six years. Before, Hal could have lost his ring and be content. Now? Now, if he lost the ring, Hal didn't know what he would do. The layers had been peeled off until being a Green Lantern was who he was, rather than being a test pilot or a boyfriend.

Urgent Message: Warp to Thanagar at your earliest convenience. The Ring said, and Hal hesitated. Six years was a long time. So very long. He looked down at his cereal for a moment before he got up to dump it into the sink. Rolling his shoulders, he looked over his cramped apartment, wondering what had brought this about.

He could afford to leave the Earth for a bit. It was in good hands. Superman was a decent guy if overpowered as all hell, and in the past six years, plenty of others had crawled out of the woodwork. Hal didn't interact with them much, but they crossed paths on occasion. He knew that he could trust them while he was away.

With a thought, Hal found himself in the only uniform he had worn in the last six months at least. Black and green with the Green Lantern emblem marked on his chest. He felt naked without it recently. And, thanks to having picked up a few tricks over years, it was a simple matter to find himself in space without anyone being the wiser. Inputting the coordinates to his ring, he warped towards the Thanagarian capital.

And he wasn't the only one. For a long second, his vision was filled with green before a planet came into view. One that wasn't earth. Given that he only had a handful of planets with sentience in his sector, it wasn't often that he saw other planets. There was the occasional joint mission, or an SOS for backup that he responded to, but for the most part he was stuck on Earth.

Hundreds, a thousand even, of green lights filled the night sky above the planet. Hal saw that the Thanagarian's were prepared for war - massive fleets, defense platforms, and the works. It made him uneasy. Call it American mentality, but he didn't like the idea of anyone having a bigger gun than Earth.

"Hal," A familiar voice greeted him, and Hal glanced over to see it was Kilowog. His mentor and friend looked as he ever did - excessively large, pink, with beady black eyes.

"Kilowog," Hal returned, eyeing him for a moment. Part of him resented the alien, but six years was a lot of time to cool off and think about things. Kilowog was likely on probation as well, so their call had been monitored. That was a ploy to get him put on probation as well to avoid him doing anything rash. Like ignoring orders and going to the nearest front to save as many people, and raise as much hell, as he could. "How ya' been?"

Some tension eased out of Kilowog at the friendly greeting, "Better now. It's time, Hal."

Hal glanced over at the fleet that they raced by as they descended to the planet. There seemed to be some kind of gathering area because the bulk of the Green Lanterns flying down congregated in one place. Hal saw plenty of familiar faces and plenty of unfamiliar ones. The Guardians had done what they could to crush the rumors, but from Hal had heard, the probation terms had been enough to make more than a few quit.

Which is how he found himself singled out as he and Kilowog neared a palace. It was a grand building, the kind you could take one look at and know that it was important. It was completely made of Nth metal, a mineral that was extremely rare everywhere else in the universe. On Thanagar, however, it was about as common as water on Earth. Beyond the palace were armies. Armies upon armies upon armies. Total mobilization.

A Thanagarian, a human-like alien except for the feathered wings on his back. He wore robes and a beak-like face mask. Looking at him, Hal was reminded of Hawkwoman and Hawkman. Two heroes that hadn't been seen in close to eight years or so. And how they were there in an attempt to uplift and vassalize Earth.

So, the entire thing was a little awkward.

"Hal Jordan and Kilowog, correct?" The Thanagarian asked as both of them touched down. On a platform that overlooked the armies were the other Green Lanterns. There were hundreds of them, with more coming down. There had to be around a thousand or more on the platform catching up.

"That's us," Hal confirmed with a cocky smirk and nod. The mask made it hard to tell what the Thanagarian was thinking, but he simply nodded.

"Please follow me," He requested before turning around and started walking. Hal followed as he sent another look at the mass of Green Lanterns.

"Is the entire force mobilizing?" Hal asked as they entered the palace. It looked like a futuristic hall with the aesthetic of the medieval times. It was weird and kinda cool. Kilowog shook his head in response.

"No. From what I saw, they're just mobilizing those put on probation," Kilowog answered. So maybe it was a good thing that he had tried to push the envelope half a decade ago. "The others are holding everything else down." So the thirty-six hundred that safeguarded the universe, up to half of them would be pulling double duty.

"Hopefully something like this will convince them to recruit more Lanterns," Hal offered as they walked. The hallways were empty, though marked with preserved Thanagarian artifacts and the like. The Thanagarian guide led them towards a large door made of Nth metal at the end of a long hallway.

"Or we could end the war before the universe feels our absence," Kilowog returned as the door opened up. Behind it was a face that Hal knew well - a member of the Honor Guard, Stel. A large imposingly built sentient robot that towered over everyone else in the room. There were about a dozen others standing around a long table that displayed a hologram of battle plans.

This was it, Hal realized. This was when the war started for him. He had served in the military since he was able to, but he never saw active combat on Earth. Then he became a Green Lantern, and while he saw plenty of combat, it was nothing that could be described as war.

"Hal, Kilowog. It's good to see you," Stel greeted, his polite demeanor not matching his build at all.

Hal offered a smile as his gaze lingered on the battle plans, "Back at you Stel. Is this the plan?" He asked, deciding to get right to the chase.

Stel nodded, "It is. The Thanagarian Empire has spearheaded three offenses into the Trade Organization controlled space," he offered while one important looking Thanagarian nodded. He was more finely dressed, so he was royalty, a general, or both.

"Our offensives have seen considerable success - the Trade Organization has had its eyes on the Reach for too long and left their sides open to attack. Additionally, we've had a stroke of luck in the general placed in charge of the front. Though, I suppose that's a matter of perspective."

Hal shared a look with Kilowog, "And who would that be?" Kilowog asked, as out of the loop as he was. The information blackout about the war was effective. The only news he heard was rumors and hearsay.

"Prince Tarble," the Thanagarian leader muttered with a grimace. And that was a name Hal recognized.

"Uh," Hal started, frowning. He knew it had been six years, but he recalled what Prince Tarble looked like. A half-dead kid fighting for his life against a rogue Green Lantern before the Guardians… before the Guardians got her killed. "Isn't he like a literal infant?"

Stel was the one who answered, "He's also a military genius responsible for nearly every single successful offensive against the Reach in the past ten years. The predictions are that if he were to become the Supreme Commander of the Trade Organization armed forces then the Reach-Trade Organization war will end in as little as four years. Against the current projection of two and a half centuries."

Oh. Well then.

"So, how is it a stroke of luck that the Prince Toddler is in charge of the counter forces?" Hal questioned, frowning. Like he recalled his appearance, Hal also recalled that Saiyans also had a human development period. So, Tarble was a twelve-year-old. A twelve-year-old that started a galactic spanning war when he was about three months old.

Hal had seen three months old babies before. They couldn't even lift their head up. Sure, the gestation tank happened but the fact remained… Hal felt bad for the kid. He quite literally had been at war his entire life.

"Because of Saiyan tendencies for taking trophies. On the planet D'xe, where Lantern Kaylark was slain, Prince Tarble took possession of her ring and wears it as a necklace," Stel informed, making Hal's lips thin while Kilowog grunted. That was like a cop killer wearing the badge of the cop he killed for everyone to see. "Some months later, Prince Tarble displayed the willpower necessary to qualify as a Green Lantern."

That got a reaction out of everyone in the room. The Thanagarians flinched like they had been struck while Hal felt like he had been kicked in the balls. Perhaps it shouldn't have meant as much as it did, but it did mean something. Hal could attest first hand just how willful and stubborn you had to be to qualify for a ring.

But it also offered some insight into the kind of person they were dealing with. They were fighting someone that could be one of them.

"He rejected becoming a Green Lantern, but since then, the ring has been monitoring him," Stel informed. Just like his ring had been monitoring Hal. "Because of this, we have the Prince's plans."

The hologram changed while Hal took that in. That was like the US finding out about the German offensive before they could launch it back in WWII. It displayed the Frieza-force plans to break through the offensives and hit the capital worlds with an elite force while the armies and fleets established a frontline.

"Thank God for idiots," Hal muttered. This was big. This was beyond big. They broke their counter and they were wide open.

"Our course has been decided," Stel continued. "The Thanagarian forces will engage the prong attacks, but the threat of Prince Tarble, his Team, and the thousand members of the Sinestro Corps must be dealt with. We crush them, and the front is headless. The Trade Organization loses its most promising asset, and we can remove the Sinestro Corps before they can establish themselves."

A point was highlighted where the ambush would happen. Where the Green Lanterns would bring their full force against the heavy hitters of the Frieza-force. Hal took in a slow breath and braced himself for the battle to come.

"Let's get it done, then."

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	56. Feeling of Dread

There weren't words to describe the sight of a thousand Green Lanterns in once place. A handful were on Oa at any given time, most of which were recruits, but it was the first time Hal had seen so many of his comrades gathered in one place. Much less to fight a singular enemy. The Sinestro Corps wouldn't be crushed, ripped out root and stem here, but the snake's head would be cut off. The body would thrash around for a bit and then they could clean up the pieces left behind.

"Feels like this is overkill," Hal muttered as he sat down on an asteroid amongst a field of them. It was the perfect ambushing spot, and the perfect spot for a fleet to warp in to punch through the Thangarian defenses. A thousand Lanterns for this?

"Do you honestly think that?" Kilowog asked from behind him as they both looked at the spot of empty space that would be filled with a portion of Prince Tarble's fleet that carried their heavy hitters. A thousand Lanterns were arranged around that point, their rings fully charged and it was just a matter of waiting. But, as a military man, Hal was used to hurrying up and waiting.

Hal considered that for a moment before he shook his head, "Knowing Sinestro? We probably should have brought more," Hal admitted. Sinestro was just one of those kinds of people that would slip out of any net that threw at him. He had been one of the best before he proved himself to be a monstrous tyrant. And being a monstrous tyrant didn't mean his skill and cunning were suddenly forfeit. "Especially since the restrictions haven't been lifted."

Kilowog made a noise of acknowledgment, "A restriction that Sinestro doesn't have." He reminded lightly, his voice was grim. Hal's lips thinned at the reminder. It wasn't like he wanted to kill - it was the exact opposite. If he never had to kill a single person in his life, Hal would count himself lucky.

But Sinestro would. Those Saiyans would. And because they would, they had to front-load the entire Green Lantern force to deal with that handful of Sinestro Lanterns. Unlike normally, the enemy would be operating on the same tech level. They would have Power Rings. Despite outnumbering the enemy, Hal felt like they were at a disadvantage.

"Don't worry about it, Poozer," Kilowog smacked him on the back as they waited for the enemy to come. A thousand Green Lanterns against two hundred and fifty Yellow and a handful of Saiyans. "We take care of Sinestro, then the Frieza-force is a mop-up. Do you really think that the Guardians don't have an answer to that tiny demon?" He asked, speaking more to those around Hal than Hal himself.

Hal put a smirk on his face, "Of course they do." He said, wondering when he had stopped being the rookie that looked up at everyone else and became a veteran that others looked to. And he did believe that. It was just an honest question of why the Guardians let things progress this far. But the newbies and rookies took his reassurance at face value. Or if they did have doubts, they hide then away.

Taking in a deep breath, Hal let the smirk fall from his face. He would be fighting Sinestro again. A mentor and a friend. The battle to come… they were going to lose people. It was inevitable. But… Hal gritted his teeth as he clenched his hand into a fist, making a promise to himself.

He promised that he would fight with his all so that everyone could go home-

Warp detected His ring announced, snapping Hal out of his thoughts as he aimed a ringed fist in the direction of the coordinates that had been leaked. Only there was nothing there. His confusion only lasted a brief moment before he saw a flash of yellow light and the asteroid that he stood on trembled. It was only his instincts that managed to save him - a bubble formed, covering the lanterns in the vicinity and he felt pure power wash over his shield.

It won't break. His shield wouldn't break. Hal wouldn't let it.

"What was that?!" One of the Lanterns shouted as they reinforced his shield with their own willpower, allowing Hal to fly themselves clear of the attack.

"That was an ambush," Kilowog said and Hal had to make sure that Kilowog wasn't in the shield with him. Three others were. Their rings fueled a few extra layers to the shield, protecting them as they sailed out of the blast.

Hal realized what he meant, "We got played?! How-" Hal was forced to cut himself off as they finally left the blast that had nearly taken them out. The asteroid field was filled with specs of yellow as a battle had begun. Specs of yellow and green clashed but there were so many yellow specs. So many Yellow Lanterns.

"This is Stel, acting commander of the regiment! Regroup on me - do not be separated!" Stel announced as Hal took in the sight. It all clicked into place as they sailed through empty space. It was a brief moment of stunning clarity in the middle of pure chaos - it only lasted for the briefest of seconds but it felt it lasted hours.

They were completely outnumbered, so much so that Hal could tell with a glance. There were thousands of Yellow Lanterns.

"How did this happen?!" Hal snapped, a yellow beam slamming into his shield, the others gasped at the source behind it. Hal felt the impact rattle his bones, and he knew at that moment who had fired at him.

Looking at the source, Hal saw Sinestro lagging behind a child. Prince Tarble. The former's ring was aimed at him, while the Saiyan Prince floated forward. The two rings on his necklace drifting slightly in zero gravity.

"Back on Rench, my ring activated and communicated with me," Prince Tarble responded. "So, I figured the ring was able to listen in on my conversations." That cold voice didn't belong to a child. "War with the Green Lanterns was inevitable - it was clear that you were letting your enemies soften each other up before you went for the kill. So, I let you listen in for a couple of years."

Prince Tarble glanced around at the chaos around them - Stel was rallying the forces, and they had to regroup with them if they had any hope of surviving. Sinestro seemed to bask in their seeming defeat but said nothing. "I had something like this planned for years. The catch was bigger than I expected. I'm actually kind of sad that we have to share with your Corps, Sinestro."

It was a trap. That much was obvious, but it was daunting just how badly they had been duped. But it would take more than something like that to make him cower.

"You three," Hal muttered to those in his bubble shield. "When the shield drops, head straight for Stel." His attention was sharpened to a razor-sharp focus, the kind that he only experienced when he was in such deep shit that he couldn't see the sun. Because of it, he saw a green trail nearby that could only belong to Kilowog.

But he needed to keep them talking to put everything in position, "So, it was all a trap? The battle plans, and everything?"

Prince Tarble cocked his head, "You're ambush won't work. I'm here to fight you and Kilowog - the others can join in if they want. Or they can regroup with Stel. Doesn't matter in the end."

Shit. What a brat. "And why's that?" Hal questioned as Kilowog abandoned subtly and flew forward, another six Lanterns with him.

"Because you're all going to die here," Prince Tarble stated, speaking the words as if they were fact. It was impossible to see his face because of the mask and his visor, but as he spoke the words, his hair shifted. A green aura covered his body, and he seemed to grow an inch taller while his hands curled into fists.

"We'll see about that!" Hal shouted, having heard that phrase so many times before. The shield dropped as he surged forward, the other Lanterns following in his wake. He wasn't surprised - if they were the kind to run in this situation then they wouldn't have earned the ring in the first place.

Prince Tarble darted forward, moving in a blur, and in a split second, he was in Hal's face. Behind the blood-red visor, Hal saw glowing yellow eyes - the yellow Power Ring or the Wrath State?

"Yeah, we will," Tarble agreed before a fist met his face.

* * *

"Sinestro, you're on herding duty," I reminded as the battle began. Stel, Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and a few others were identified as cornerstones - those that the Green Lanterns would rally around. Separating them from the herd would drastically reduce their strength.

It was simple - Sinestro was the bait to lead the Lanterns around by their nose because they would do whatever they could to take him out. Even at the cost of their lives and to ensure those that died didn't die for nothing. My team and I were ensuring that the cornerstones of the Green Lantern Corps remained separate before taking them out.

"As you say," Sinestro agreed, forming a shield around himself as he flew off. "Hal, Kilowog. It was nice to see you again, at least," He said, offering one last taunt before he flew off. Hal Jordan, who was sent flying from my punch, surged forward. He seemed unharmed - Green Lanterns were durable. It seemed like it took more than just pure strength to break through their defensive auras. I had to will it to break.

"Sinestro!" Hal shouted as Kilowog moved in. There were a handful of other Lanterns, lucky ones to survive the opening blasts. More than a few hadn't been so fortunate. With Hal Jordan distracted by the fleeing Sinestro, enraged by his taunts, I flew past him. My hands curled into fists as I met eyes with a nameless Green Lantern that I didn't know nor recognize.

This time, when my fist met their face, I willed the barrier to break. My fist cleaved through the weaker alien's head, meeting almost no resistance once the barrier broke. A half-formed construction behind me. The others reacted well - the two converged on me while Hal turned around to face me. He hesitated for the briefest of seconds, and if it wasn't for a half dozen energy blasts from Kilowog's group, I would have taken another Lantern.

Strafing away, I grit my teeth as a comically large green boxing glove raced towards me. I slammed a fist against it, but unlike with Sinestro's constructs, it didn't shatter.

"Hm," I hummed as the pain from the Wrath State surged while I instead sent the glove flying to the side. A benefit of my larger body - the Wrath State stage fifteen was available to me. It still felt like my body was a hundred times too small for the power within, but it was better than the hundred and one times too small that I was. "Is it because yours are stronger or because of the lack of weakness to will?"

Hal's expression was a furious mask, but it was controlled. He was angry, but he kept himself in check. The two groups linked up, their rings pointed at me.

"That ring on your neck," Kilowog spoke, "I heard you were worthy of it."

"I am. I'd just refuse to use a borrowed power," I answered. I clenched my hands, feeling my knuckles flash with pain. I felt like Broly in that cave all those years ago - I had gotten too used to things breaking when I hit them. "Though, it has come in handy." It was obvious what I had referred to and one of the Lanterns went forward, only to be stopped when Kilowog pulled them back. Though, I knew that they would misunderstand the depth of my plan. They would assume that I had been gaslighting the guardians for nearly a decade at this point, but that sadly wasn't the case.

I had suspected, but not known. I hadn't thought about it at all at first. It was only when my responsibilities grew as a general, the threat of spies becoming more prevalent, I was forced to think of all the what-ifs. And one of those what-ifs was if the ring was still passively active and listening to me. Listening to my conversations about the Saiyan plot, about Broly, about battle plans... I had desperately hoped that I was wrong, hoping that my double bluff wouldn't work because the Guardians were ignorant, but... here the Green Lanterns were.

So, the Guardians knew far more than I ever wanted them to. But, at the very least, I had been able to deliver this devastating blow.

The Lantern glared, countless similar battles being waged all around us. Unlike normal battle, I wasn't overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of presences, meaning that I could pick out when one vanished. And, what's more, they were just as aware of their comrades dying as well. "He's trying to taunt you, Poozer."

"And you're stalling," I returned, floating in empty space. For what? Ah. That's how it was. Instead of crossing the distance to disrupt their plans, I hovered where I was, idly tracking the battles around us. Both with my ki sense and my scouter.

Hal spoke, "You don't deserve that ring," he decided. "You're spitting all over what it means!"

"I could say the same for all of you," I returned evenly, feeling Tora, Shugesh, and Fasha clash against Stel and his group nearby. A hand went to my necklace, pinching the green ring that was now clamped with an item that would prevent the Guardians from listening in. An item I had received from Virl - that guy really did know too much.

I clenched my jaw, "As far as I'm concerned, Kaylark was the only one that was worthy to wear a Green Power Ring. She was the only one to stand up for the oaths that you all took. The rest of you are just trash dragging the Lantern Corps name through the mud." I wish I wasn't wearing a mask or my visor. "And the Guardians killed her."

Kilowog looked oddly sympathetic, "It wasn't for a lack of effort on our part."

That much was true, "I know. That's why you're all here - everyone on probation in the Green Lantern Corps. Honestly, I feel bad for you all. No matter how you look at this, it's just the Guardians cleaning house." They bristled, and I shrugged uncaringly, "Not that it matters. You said the words - be the shield that defends the universe and blah blah blah. If you meant them, then you wouldn't have let being punished stop you."

"And what were we supposed to do," Hal bit out. I could see them making preparations. And knowing who they were made it all too easy to see what they were about to do.

"You don't need a ring to uphold the oath you made," I answered shortly. If they were serious about interfering in the war, about putting an end to it, then getting grounded by the Guardians shouldn't have been enough to stop them. It wouldn't have been enough to stop me. "You just wanted one. You weren't willing to sacrifice being a Green Lantern for the lives you swore to protect. Kaylark only interfered when we invaded her home planet, but at least she did something."

Ki gathered in my hands, "So, I deem you all unworthy of those rings. The same for those that didn't even try. And the Guardians of the Universe unworthy of that title." They took on a job that was just too big for them. They gave it their best shot, and they did what they could, but the fact of the matter was that countless billions, trillions even, were dead because of their inaction.

Hal trembled, his ring glowing in response, "And you are?"

"No. But I never said I was a hero," I answered, my tone flat. And that was the cue for the Green Lanterns to move. Kilowog and Hal surged towards me, constructs forming - a minigun for Hal when a deep green wall meant to block my vision protected the remaining other Lanterns. As I was forced to move, dodging hundreds of green bullets made of pure will, I felt their presences grow further away, heading in the direction of Stel.

Predictable.

I ignored the retreating Lanterns, glad for their absence because it meant that I could focus on my two desired opponents. Ki gathered in my hands as I tracked the barrel's path as Hal attempted to drive me in the opposite direction. "Darts," I called out, the ki breaking up into several beams of light. The funneled into the minigun's barrels and a small explosion rang out.

So, ki was effective as well. That was good to know. Though, regardless, the two Green Lanterns wasted no time to press the attack. Their rings flashed, constructs forming while their faces were grim masks of determination.

"You didn't attack the fleeing poozers," Kilowog noted, a sizable fist flying my way sent by Hal, while Kilowog formed a net - one to pin me down and another to attack and keep me distracted. They fell into their roles seamlessly as they attacked, and it was clear that they had a great deal of experience working together.

"No point," I responded, cupping my hands together as I formed a Spiral Buster at my side. "I'm only here for you two. They were just filler," I told them, sending the ki attack at the net. It shifted, becoming a wall, but I willed the ki blast through. The wall cracked visibly before it shifted, becoming an angled plane at the point of the blast to send the attack flying away from them. Kilowog was a quick thinker.

Hal closed in, a buzzsaw forming as he lunged it at me. I looked down at him for a moment, the saw arcing towards my torso - I had plenty of time to move, but I gained more when Hal's blade hesitated. I asked underneath my breath before I lazily flipped out of the way, kicking the construct up, before I blasted forward. Hal had enough time to regret his hesitation before I planted a fist in his stomach hard enough that he folded like paper. But the protective aura didn't break.

"Don't hesitate," I scolded him, twisting and kicking him in the face hard enough that he was sent flying. As soon as he was clear, a beam of green light raced towards me. Making a split-second decision, I reached out and grasped the light, feeling it solidify under my hands. It pushed me back, away from the two, but in the depths of space, we had nothing if not plenty of room.

Clenching a fist, I formed a fist and slammed it into the beam of light. It cracked under my fist, but it wasn't until the second hit that it broke. The will construct faded from view, the two lanterns some distance from me. I spared a glance at my knuckles to see that they were bleeding. Behind my mask, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips - this was fun. More fun than I thought it would be.

Hal glared at me as both of them closed in, coming to a decision. If they tied me up here, then I wasn't killing other Green Lanterns. "I'm here for a decent fight. If you keep flubbing it because I look like a kid, then I'll turn my attention elsewhere," I warned, rushing forward to meet them. I spun out of the way of a light blast while Kilowog sent some kind of obelisk at me - ki coated my hands, sharpening into blades that I conceded as much as I could.

Slamming their razor-sharp edges against the construct, I sliced through it. It felt like I was cutting through concrete, and it was only pure strength that let me force the blades through. The cuts were anything but clean, but I cut through them. Hal reacted by sending another giant boxing glove at me, and I lashed out with a foot. The glove fractured under the blow, not quite breaking but it might as well have. Was his will shaken or something?

That was disappointing. I expected better.

"What a cocky brat," Hal spat at me, speaking to his partner but the fact I could hear him speak in the void of space told me that the words were meant for me. "Save your threats. What's next, you're going to raise my planet to the ground?"

I let out a small laugh, "Why would I destroy something that's mine?" I asked, flying up as I resharpened my blunted ki blades. The whites of Hal's mask narrowed as he formed a wall between us while Kilowog formed some kind of ray gun. My blades slashed into the wall, cutting through it with greater ease. His will was weakening further or was I just getting stronger?

My blades raced towards Hal's neck, only for him to save himself by throwing up an arm. It was covered in green layered construct armor, which caught the blade to save his life. A ray rushed towards me, forcing me to shift my other ki blade into a shield to absorb the ray beam. The ki shield cracked almost instantly, but that half-second was enough for me to continue my slash - the construct faltered, allowing me to cut through flesh and bone with ease.

Hal screamed, his arm cut off just above where the white of his gloves marked. Though, he managed to save his own life by retreating, cupping a hand over the bleeding stump. Kilowog covered him, attacking recklessly to allow me to retreat. The severed limb floated in space, but it, unfortunately, lacked an identifying ring on it.

"Hal! Are-?" Kilowog shouted, clearly concerned as Hal capped off the stump with a construct.

The human glared at me as his chest heaved, "I'm fine. I have another arm to work with," he decided, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at me. "What do you mean that you own Earth?" He demanded, standing tall despite the loss of a limb. I guess he wouldn't be Green Lantern material if he let the loss of an arm stop him.

His question confirmed my suspicions. I had owned Earth for over a decade at this point and Earth itself belonged to the Trade Organization for millennia. Yet there was a Green Lantern stationed there. The Guardians were infringing on Trade Organization territory and Lord Frieza allowed them to do so because he previously lacked his own Lantern Corps.

"I guess that's another thing that the Guardians have been hiding from you. I am the legal owner of Earth. I chose it as my reward after instigating the Trade Organization-Reach war around twelve years ago," I told him and because of the mask that only covered his eyes and cheekbones, I saw the expression in his face.

Complete and utter betrayal because he believed me. The Guardians had shown their hand too many times - the probation, this slaughter of a battle, now keeping a secret like that? Whatever trust Hal Jordan had in the Guardians was likely gone. But that was inconsequential.

Because he was dying here.

"Quit dwelling on it," I told the Green Lanterns. "It doesn't matter at the moment who owns what or who betrayed who. Right now, you're trying to defeat me and I'm trying to kill all of you." As I spoke, I flew forward, getting ready for another bout. Hal's expression was pained while Kilowog's was grim.

Both of their rings glowed with an ominous light that stood out in the darkness of space - they were ready for me. As much as they could be, at least. But Hal's resolve was shaken and I swallowed words that I knew would strengthen it.

As much as I wanted a great fight, I was a general first before all else.

And telling them that I was a diversion would be just the thing that they needed to pick themselves back up.

* * *

Shayera looked down at the cup she had been drinking out of and saw her own tired expression staring back at her. The bags under her eyes, while her eyes themselves were dull from a potent concoction of depression, alcohol, and exhaustion. Then she knocked back the rest of the bitter red liquid in one go before slamming the mug down on the counter.

The bar she was in was more of a club - dance floors, Thangarian style music, a fighting ring with other cages around it with various nude aliens dancing within. This had been one of her favorite spots to come back to after a long deployment. A place to cut loose and just have mindless fun.

Now the music grated on her ears, the alcohol tasted like shit, and the company she used to party with just got on her nerves.

"Don't you think that's enough?" The drink provider questioned, giving her a pitying look. Shayera swallowed her first instinct of throwing the cup at him. Then her second of telling him off. Then her third of demanding another drink and for him to shut up.

"...Yeah," Shayera agreed, pushing the cup forward as she went with her fourth reaction. She wasn't drunk enough to act on base impulses and considering how she swayed being an angry or depressed drunk as of late, it was better to quit while she was ahead. "Put it on my tab," she said, waving over her shoulder as she left the club. She was a regular for years, but in the past half-decade and became a much more frequent regular.

Stepping out of the thriving club, Shayera let out a sigh as she stretched her wings out a bit. Of its own free will, her gaze drifted to the palace of the Thanagarian Empire. Hours earlier, hundreds of Green Lanterns had landed before taking off with a considerable army. Her fingers ached for the touch of her weapon - a spiked Nth metal mace, but it's presence was nowhere to be found. Over half a decade without its weight on her hip never got easier to manage.

Her gaze shifted to the sky above - the view of the stars was thoroughly ruined by light pollution, but more so because of the defense platforms constructed around the capital of the empire. Her drunken mind amused the thought of going with the army, fighting in glorious battle, and finally putting an end to the uncountable evils that the Trade Organization and Reach committed. But that hopeful fantasy was swept by bitter reality, forcing her to look back down the road and start walking home.

Her wings had been clipped.

As she made her way home, Shayera's mind wandered to half-forgotten memories. The moment that her entire life had been turned on its head.

Years ago, the Frieza-force had attacked her and her husband. Both of them had been stationed on Earth with the goal of convincing the Earth populace that they were better off under the Thanagarian Empire. Her and her husband, Katar, had been heroes in addition to policemen. And the Frieza-force had used that as an excuse to attack them. Using the defeated Frieza-force ships as an excuse, Frieza began a long campaign to humiliate the Thanagarian Empire.

Shayera and her husband had just been following orders, orders given to them by the government. But the government needed scapegoats. No, not scapegoats. They had needed to bury all evidence of wrongdoing to save face because they had been attempting an underhanded act of theft.

So, she and her husband were stripped of their badges and booted off the force.

They were given a generous pension and a significant monthly stripped because they were unable to work. At all. Once they had been some of the best in the force but because the Empire wanted to bury their existence, Shayera was unable to so much as get a job as a street sweeper. Or a dishwasher. She couldn't even become a hooker or a stripper.

So, she used the government's generous fund to get drunk. Because there was absolutely nothing else she could do since she also wasn't allowed to leave the planet.

"It would have been better if they shot us down," Shayera muttered darkly. Death in combat would have been a kinder fate than slowly wasting away, completely aimless in life because any direction she could go was sealed off from her. The governing body of the Empire had tried to be kind in recognition of their service and the fact that they weren't at fault, but instead, they inflicted a cruel and slow death upon her.

The life of fighting crime and if service to the empire was gone. Stolen from her-

Another sigh escaped her, "When did I become a bitter bitch? I haven't even hit my forties yet." She was barely in her thirties. Shayera looked back up at the sky as she walked, knowing that her husband would be sprawled out on the couch. As hard as being dismissed from the force hit her, it had hit him twice as hard.

Katar had tried to find a way around the issue of being blacklisted. He had attempted to use the scrutiny he was under to shine a light on several issues. That had ended… poorly. But defeat after bitter defeat had chipped away at him until he spent most days watching tv when he wasn't sleeping.

A flash of light marked the sky as she looked up, her eyes drawn to the defensive platform that stood before the moon. Because of that, Shayera saw that the defensive platform was blasted apart in orbit. Her jaw dropped, the alcohol and rust clogging up her mind as she could only stare up in confusion what was going on as the defense platform drifted apart before streaks of light poured down.

They were being invaded.

Thangar, the capital of the Thanagarian Empire, was being invaded.

"This is Queen Teach of the Frieza-force," a woman's voice announced, hijacking into the intercom system that reached every inch of the planet. "You assholes tried to invade the empire of my son, Prince Tarble and now you're going to suffer for it. Don't bother surrendering, begging for mercy, or trying to make deals for your worthless lives. None will be spared. Fight your hardest to entertain me and my darling little girl, and your corpses will become food." The woman's voice was cold with icy fury.

"Because that's what you are now. Entertainment and food. Make up for your previous transgressions by becoming the best entertainment and meals that you can be," Queen Teach continued and old instincts began to kick in. "If some hero wants to make a desperate charge at me, then I'll be at the palace. I'll see you there."

Shayera slowly turned around, the entire planet holding its breath as Queen Teach'ss speech sunk in, and she looked up at the palace just in time to see a massive explosion light it up. But not before more explosions fell upon the capital city.

War had come to Thangar.

Shayera realized she should be more careful with what she wished for.

* * *

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


	57. Feeling of Loss

Old habits died hard, Shayera realized as she found herself sprinting towards trouble instead of away from it. Explosions rang out across the upper plate that divided Thanagar - the cities built on the upper plate were metropolises unlike any in the universe. Everything that wasn't on the upper plate was the slums.

But, because they were on the upper plate the response was uniform - military service was mandatory for all full citizens of Thanagar. Members of her species flew low through the streets, heading to the nearest depo if they were unable to retrieve their assigned weapon. Or, in her case, to pick up a weapon because she had none. While Thanagarians flew above, other species ran below towards shelters.

She heard screams in the distance and explosions rocked the plate, telling Shayera that the procedures weren't going to plan but it was better than mindless panic. Flapping her wings, she sailed around the slower Thanagarians until she saw her destination - a defensive perimeter being set up around a depo building. Even better, she recognized the man in charge.

"Shayera?" Varrick, a decorated military police officer noticed her as she approached. Wasting no time, he tossed a slender spear with a formed head in her direction. "Good to see you back in action. Where's Katar?" He asked, keeping a watchful eye on the skies above as more soldiers trickled into the depo.

Shayera twirled the staff gun, finding it a bit light for her tastes, but it was nice to hold a weapon again. "He's probably on his way here now," Shayera answered. Their communicators were being jammed planet-wide. Or, at the very least, they were on a civilian level. Planting the butt of the spear into the ground as she touched down with her feet, she gave Varrick a serious look. "Where am I going?"

In response, Varrick turned to look at the Palace. Shayera did so as well - there were signs of fighting, showing that-

"They've already taken the palace," Varrick informed, delivering a brutal punch to the gut. It had been less than half an hour since the invasion began. "And they're setting up shop there. I'm in contact with two other depos nearby - communications are offline, so what we know isn't as much as we would like, but I'm getting reports of probing forces coming from the capital."

Meaning that the Frieza-force had secured it completely. Queen Teach's warning rang in her skull like a bell and Shayera knew that everyone in the palace was dead. Or they wished that they were.

"We're making a push for the palace shortly - we take it back, we can get a view of the situation planet-wide and look to kicking this scum off of our planet," Varrick announced, earning scattered shouts of approval. Shayera nodded, really wishing for her Nth metal mace, but a blaster would have to do. "So suit up, Shayera. I want to see you in armor again."

Flashing him a smirk, Shayera wasted no time obeying the order. Flying into the depo, she suited up with practiced ease. A scale harness that covered her body, with plates over them for additional protection while her wings were protected by a secondary harness made of Nth metal. It should be too much to let her fly, but with enough Nth metal, anyone could fly. As well as breathe in space.

After sliding on a familiar hawk-like helmet, Shayera was ready for combat. Despite over half a decade of being without it, the armor felt like a second skin. A few others in the locker room recognized her, offering nods of acknowledgment as they marched in formation. There was no real time for a briefing of the mission at hand. Each second they delayed was a second that the Frieza-force used to dig in.

Shayera fell in line, looking among the dozens of others nearby for her husband but she failed to find him. She wasn't worried, per se, but… Katar wasn't the warrior that he once was. Neither was she for that matter. She didn't think he would have fallen so easily, but combat was chaotic at the best of times. But, beyond her worries, Shayera had faith. Rust or not, her husband wasn't the type to die in such a way.

"Ready yourselves. We're attacking the Frieza-force, but we aren't doing it alone," Varrick yelled out since even the most basic of communicators were unavailable to them. "That Queen said we're nothing but good food and entertainment to them. Let's show her that Thanagarian's are a bit too tough for her!" It was a short speech, but an effective one. Emotions were running high, and beyond the disbelief that their capital was under attack, there was a desire for vengeance.

Shayera just wanted to protect her home. Thanagar might have doomed her to die wasting away, but that wasn't reason enough to turn her back on the Empire. Almost as one, her and a few hundred others rose into the air, some flapped their wings while others simply used the Nth metal to float off the ground.

They flew off in formation and Shayera was glad to feel at home despite the circumstances. Now with a birds-eye view, she could see the scattered chaos around the upper plate. Explosions lit up the night sky, but the explosions were not of fire. Buildings had collapsed, falling onto the street below… she never wanted to see her home like this.

But she expected worse. Shayera did what she could to remain up to date, so she knew this was likely Prince Tarble's army. Pushing aside all questions of what happened to the Green Lanterns, the Prince's army was seasoned. They were used to flying to planets and killing absolutely everything that dared call them an enemy.

If it was his mother who was invading, then Shayera expected to see more than this. The fact that they had been able to rally even a small counterforce like the one flying to the palace didn't sit well with her. Despite knowing that she could trust her gut, Shayera flew in formation because the situation was out of her hands.

More alarming, there was no anti-air as the hundreds of troops flew towards the palace. Shayera held her weapon with a white-knuckled grip when she saw that the anti-air turrets of the palace were disabled, which could explain it, but not the fact that the Frieza-force somehow forgot to make a defensive line.

They cleared the distance, landing safely on the palace, the uppermost layer of Thanagar, and every single hair stood on end. Shayera turned her attention to the palace doors, seeing that they were still closed- "Contact, dead ahead," Shayera shouted, dropping to a knee as she leveled the blaster of her weapon when the door began to open…

To reveal a child.

"Oh, you guys got here quicker than I thought!" A young girl, a Saiyan judging by the tail wrapped around her waist. And the fact she pushed open a several ton doors with relative ease. Her hair was shoulder length and slicked back in a mane of spikes except for a lock that drifted down between her blazing yellow eyes. She stepped out, careless of the blasters aimed in her direction, before a small frown tugged at her lips while a few others followed behind her.

Children. They were children.

"Where's the rest of you?" The girl questioned, planting her hands on her hips as she glared at them. Shayera's gaze flickered to the tallest among them, a boy with a wild mane of hair and a scar marking a cheek wearing he wore a deep green blanket of some kind around his shoulders.

"Open fire," Varrick mercilessly Ordered, firing the first shot. Countless more followed. Shayera hesitated for a moment before she pulled the trigger, making her arc-lance recoil a bit as a pale blue energy blast raced towards the Saiyans. A cloud of smoke was kicked up from the dispersed energy, but Shayera knew that the children weren't dead. Even before they stepped forward through the dust.

A bubble shield prevented their energy shots from progressing any further. Upon seeing that the attacks did nothing, Varrick ordered a quick 'scatter.' Hundreds of Thanagarian commandos scattered in the air, returning fire. Despite all of the noise, Shayera could swear she heard the girl let out a small sigh before saying, "I was hoping for a bigger turnout than this."

She raised a palm and an energy blast raced from it, and half a hundred Thanagarian below her were gone. A grim realization settled on Shayera as she darted down to grab one Thanagarian that hadn't been completely able to escape the blast. He screamed, holding onto her for dear life as his legs were vaporized.

But, when the blast faded, Shayera saw that the armor remained almost untouched. As did the palace balcony since it was also made of Nth metal. That was useful to know.

Shayera tossed the wounded soldier to a nearby soldier before she clenched her jaw. She flew up, ready to get the drop on the children while the leader of the trio continued in a boisterous voice.

"I am Princess Elery!" Elery introduced herself, "That's Broly and Olaive. Mom said we could watch the gate and not let any of you inside!" Shayera nearly faltered at the sheer… innocent excitement in Elery's voice. But she didn't. Gritting her teeth, she took aim and launched her arc-lance at the Saiyan child.

The boy, Broly, reacted instantly. He darted forward and snatched the spear out of the air with ease. Shayera half expected him to launch it at her, but he simply glared in her direction. But that was okay. Shayera held out a hand and a soldier tossed her their arc-lance.

"Wait!" Elery shouted, holding up a hand and despite the growing tension, both sides did. "Do you want to wait until you get reinforcements? Oh, or are all of you some super-secret task force?!" The sheer amount of hope in her voice was unnerving.

"Open fire," Varrick ordered, his voice cold as ice. In response, dozens of energy blasts raced towards the children. Shayera took aim and fired once, aiming at the arc-lance power battery. The Saiyans formed their shields, but they weren't prepared for the explosion that rang out. Smoke and fire enveloped them, and for a moment, Shayera feared that the blood of children was on her hands - active combatants or not, killing children was too much for her.

Her fears were quickly put to rest when a blur escaped the cloud of smoke, racing directly at her. Shayera reacted instantly, spotting where the point of impact would be, she put a forearm between her and the tiny fist of Elery. A split second later, her forearm smacked against her chest hard enough to bruise, sending her flying away fast enough that her wings were stripped of feathers. Air refused to enter her lungs for a moment as she willed herself to stop using the Nth metal in her armor.

Her forearm throbbed with pain, but pain meant she was still alive. If only because of the Nth metal. The metal was so very common on Thanagar, so it was used in just about everything on the upper plate. Yet so very little was known about the metal that they used for construction, appliances, and weapons. It allowed wearers to breathe in space, fly, increased their durability and hit so much harder than they could naturally.

More than that, Nth metal was temperamental. Some pieces of the metal simply liked some users better than others. Like her mace - Shayera could get her mace to do things that would be impossible in the hands of another. It wasn't sentient, it was just more of a compatability thing. It was the reason why she and her husband were grounded instead of being killed and their bodies lost.

"Cool! My scouter says you aren't that strong, but every other alien I punch gets blasted apart!" Elery informed, focusing on her as they floated above the palace. Below them, a battle raged as Broly and Olaive attacked the task force. It was clear that the Thanagarians were losing, but so long as she could keep Elery occupied, then they had a chance to turn things around.

"I can believe it," Shayera remarked before she took aim and fired. Energy blasts shot towards Elery, who dodged them with what could only be described as practiced ease, energy coating her hands before condensing into blades. The small girl closed the distance in a split second, moving so fast it was difficult to follow. Shayera barely managed to block a blow with her arc-lance, the edge of the energy blade stopping at the core of the lance, and even then her arms nearly buckled under the force.

Urging the Nth metal to keep her in place, Shayera spun her lance, trying to catch the girl with the edge of the weapon, only for her to twist out of the way. Elery seized the opening and planted a fist in her gut, folding her like a piece of paper before spinning to catch her in the side of the head with the top of her foot.

Shayera shot to the ground, blacking out for a second, and only barely managed to soften her landing. Blood filled her mouth and her organs felt thoroughly tenderized, but she wasted no time pushing herself to her feet with the aid of her arc-lance. The battle that now raged around her was going poorly for the task force, a handful of bodies covering the ground, but with teamwork, they were able to hold out.

Elery closed in, a ferocious smile on her face as she cocked a fist back. Shayera put up her arc-lance in time to catch the blow, exactly where Elery had cut into it. The weapon folded, snapping in two as Shayera shifted to dodge. Gripping the lance half, she spun it down as Elery sailed forward. The timing was off, not just because of her hesitation and Elery's keen instincts, so the Nth metal edge plunged into Elery's shoulder instead of her back.

Elery continued to fly forward before coming to a stop and turning around. Blood dripped down her arm, but instead of screaming in pain or even crying, Elery glared at her wounded shoulder and the blade sticking out of it. As if she was annoyed that it had the audacity to be wounded at all. That wasn't the proper reaction to an injury. It either meant that a Saiyan's nervous system didn't register pain or she was so desensitized to it that a stab through the shoulder barely registered.

"Ouch!" Elery grimaced as she yanked the weapon out, proving that it wasn't the former. "Brother is right - you just can't trust power levels," she muttered as she rolled the wounded shoulder and tossed the lance to the side. She was wounded, but Shayera doubted that was enough to even the scales.

Her eyes darted around for a weapon, spotting one from a fallen Thanagarian. The action brought her attention to just how many bodies were around - though, to her surprise, there were more alive than dead. Shayera looked just in time to see Broly destroy Varrick's arm, but once he fell the boy moved on.

"You aren't using those blasts," Shayera noted, tensing to lunge for the third nearest weapon. Elery, despite her age, was a warrior. She would expect her to go for either the first two, but not the third.

"Course we aren't. Where's the fun in that?" Elery questioned, tilting her head, almost confused about why she would ask such a stupid question. Queen Teach's words echoed in her skull like a bell - food and entertainment. That's what they were to the Saiyans.

Shayera grit her teeth before she feinted for the closet weapon before lunging for the third. She rolled to her feet, scooping it up from the deceased Thanagarian, ready to defend but Elery hadn't moved. Only to launch herself after Shayera was ready - a warrior's conduct. Shayera slashed at the girl, who easily dodged the attack before Shayera felt a blow on her wings.

"Tsk," Elery muttered, energy blades coating her hands - she had just tried to cut off her wings. "I wanted them as a trophy - it's no fair that Brother keeps collecting them."

Shayera snarled, thrusting the arc-lance to skewer the girl. But in a contest of speed, Shayera was no match. Elery easily dodged the lance, kicking down on the shaft so that it was ripped from her hands. Shayera managed to throw up her hands in time for a block, but the force of the heel that slammed into her collarbone snapped it in two. Before she had time to register the pain, Elery spun and planted a foot between her breasts, nearly breaking her sternum as she shot back.

Her back slammed into the ledge of the palace, the unyielding Nth metal stopping her cold. Only the Nth metal on her armor and wings prevented her from being crippled, but she felt ribs give out.

"Shayera!" A familiar voice shouted out, and she looked to the source to find it was her husband. Katar looked mighty in his armor, his wings clad in Nth metal and two maces in his hands. One of which was hers. Her hands ached for its touch, but everything was busted at the moment.

Her husband landed in front of her before he tossed her a mace. There weren't words to describe feeling her weapon in her hands other than… righteousness.

"I'll be your opponent," Katar decided, brandishing his own mace that crackled with electricity. With their weapons, they could win. They lacked the strength to properly fight the Saiyans, but with pure Nth metal weapons, it became a possibility. Nth metal ignored things like durability to a certain degree - it was more of… cause and effect. She swung her mace, and the target was hurt. In their brief stationing on Earth, they learned it wasn't infallible, but Elery wasn't powerful enough to ignore blows like some Earthlings could.

"Okay," Elery accepted easily. "But if you're going to get all serious, then so am I," she informed ominously. Shayera barely had time to comprehend that before Elery took in a slow breath and a wave of power washed over her and her husband.

"Wrath State… Stage… Ten!" Elery shouted, a vein bulging in her neck while another bulged in her forehead. Her blazing yellow eyes intensified, but now they were filled with rage. With wrath. The sight made a hole form in Shayera's gut as she forced herself to her feet, all too aware of how silent the battle around them became.

"What stage did you fight me at?" Shayera questioned, gripping her mace with white knuckles.

Elery grinned savagely, "Stage Four. Each stage is a multiplier, so I'm way stronger now. And I'm one of the only ones that can go Stage Ten!"

They'd lost. Any hope of victory drained from Shayera as she took in their positioning. Broly had crippled most of the task-force, though from the looks of it he and Olaive were about to come to blows about 'not sharing.' Even if they managed to win against Elery, they still had two other Saiyan's to deal with and escape with hundreds of others.

It was utterly impossible.

Katar realized it as well. He crouched before he launched himself into the air, intending to put as much distance between the fighting and the wounded as possible. Most of them were down for the count, but survival was one hell of a motivation to getaway. All they had to do was give them the chance.

Elery's gaze flicked between them and Shayera nodded before she slammed her mace into the ground. The Nth metal sang in her hands, almost as overjoyed to be reunited with her as she was with it. Electricity arced from the weapon, surging towards the Saiyans. Elery darted up while Broly grabbed Oalive when she was too distracted to notice. Her attack was ineffective, but it put their eyes on her and Katar.

They were going to die. No way around it. But that's what being a hero was all about.

Being a hero was making the choice that when it came to sacrifice someone for the greater good, that you wouldn't allow anyone other than yourself to be that sacrifice.

Two lives for a few hundred. That was a good death in Shayera's book.

"RAAA!" A scream fueled by pain ripped from her throat as she raced toward Elery, only to dart to the side, dragging the lot of them away from the wounded. Despite Elery apparently going Stage Ten, it was Broly who reached her first. She twisted in the air, launching an attack at the boy, who dodged with ease.

"Stay down," He muttered to her before he punched her in the stomach hard enough that her armor warped around the blow. Despite the harsh words, his tone and eyes didn't reflect any malice. Any rage. Shayera looked into his yellow eyes and, for the moment that Shayera held his gaze, she thought that Broly was probably the saddest child on the planet.

But, even still, she grit her teeth and countered. Her mace lashed out, catching him by surprise. He managed to block, but he cried out in pain as he was batted away and sent flying down into the city below. Her body ached, but the pain was fading. Blood rushed out of her mouth, splattering to the ground below as she fell with grace.

Katar battled Elery, and he was faring about as well as she had. Already his body was battered and bloodied, Elery circling around like a predator toying with a meal before swallowing it whole. But they were moving away from the palace, leaving it unguarded.

The other girl, Olaive, rushed towards Shayera, her face etched into a snarl as pure hate glowed in her eyes. Reacting as fast as she could, ignoring the hellish flash of pain with every movement, Shayera used the shaft of her weapon to block an energy blade that would have sliced her in two. Her arms lost their strength, her weapon holding but her body failing.

But even in weakness there was strength and Shayera wasn't one to give up so easily. As her weapon was nearly knocked free of her grasp, she pivoted to use Olaive's momentum against her. As Oalive rushed by, Shayera attempted to slam her mace into her face, only for the girl to dodge. She saw how dangerous it was against Broly.

As a counter, Olaive drove a fist into her ribs, and they snapped. Shayera's hands shook as she tried to fight through the pain, taking a wild swing, but she was done for. Her will slipped as she began to fall to the ground, her gaze looking up while she fell. Katar fought with all of his might, but he was outclassed. And when she fell, he was distracted. A blow slammed into his arm, and Shayera noticed that it was broken.

Her attention was stolen when her back slammed into the rooftop of a building. She bounced once, her armor managing to protect her from the worst of it, but when she settled, blood erupted from her mouth with a cough. A lung had been punctured. Each breath was pure hell, and shallower than the last. Olaive flew over her for a moment before she rushed to where Shayera had knocked Broly.

Had she hit him that hard? She didn't think so. Those sad eyes of his… a kid like that had no place on the battlefield. Tough or not. He was probably throwing the fight.

"Hnnnghh," Shayera groaned, attempting to push herself back up to her feet. Her eyes darted to the palace above, hoping to see others flying away to regroup for another, far better-prepared assault. There were none. Shayera could only hope that was because they had already managed to get away.

Using her armor to help her along, Shayera spat on her body's limits and pushed herself to a knee. Her mace propped her up, preventing her from faceplanting, letting her look up at the fight above. Katar swung at Elery, but the girl was simply too fast. She was toying with him, trying to drag out the fight.

Worse, she wasn't even being cruel about it. It was like she expected Katar to suddenly get stronger the more she drove him into a corner. Elery was waiting for the fight to get tougher, but Katar just kept weakening the higher his injuries stacked. With the moon offering its light, Shayera watched as her husband was kicked to the ground with an axe kick and he shot down.

A shout of worry tried to rip out of her throat, but she hacked up blood instead. Even still, her husband seemed to hear her as he glanced in her direction. Despite the wounds, despite all of the blood, he stood tall and offered her a small smile before he looked away. She knew that smile. She had fallen in love with that smile.

That smile that promised that he was about to do something incredibly stupid to save the day, even if it cost him his life.

Her legs wouldn't obey her commands to stand. They wobbled underneath her, and all Shayera managed to do was fall over. "No," Shayera cursed, dragging herself forward towards the ledge of the building. Her ribs screamed, blood trickling up her throat, but she didn't care. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

They were supposed to die together. What was that idiot thinking?

Shayera dragged herself onto the ledge, intent on shouting to draw attention to herself. It was spitting on the sacrifice he was trying to make. He was trying to save her life. But Shayera didn't care. It was selfish, completely and utterly, but she didn't care. A universe without Katar was one she didn't care to be in.

She would rather die here with him than live a minute without him.

"Ka-" She started, only for a hand to clamp down on her mouth. Small. Too small.

"You have to be quiet, or you're going to die too," Broly whispered fiercely in her ears. She tried to tell him that was the entire point, but he was just too strong. Kindness and worry shone in his eyes, mixing together with confusion and indecisiveness. A bruise covered half of his face, but he didn't seem to notice.

He was a good kid. A kind child that had absolutely no place in this war.

"Elery? I did say guard the gate, didn't I?" A voice rang out, and Shayera looked up to see it was a woman. The resemblance to Elery was striking - the same face structure, the same hair, all the way down to that same feral smirk. Elery would grow up to be a beautiful woman. She wore white Frieza-force armor with a red symbol above her left breast.

Elery looked up, pausing mid-attack with an almost fearful expression. "O-oh… yeah… But these guys kept trying to run away!"

"Don't make excuses. You got carried away with the fight," Teach rebuked, though not unkindly. As if she completely understood and didn't hold it against her. "I gave you a job to do, Elery. How can either I or your brother give you responsibilities if you keep running off to do whatever you want?"

Of everything, those words seemed to do the most damage to Elery. The girl pouted, the veins disappearing and the aura of power she carried diminished. "I'm sorry," Elery muttered.

"It's fine," Teach said, touching down on the rooftop across the street. The one that Katar stood on. No. No. No, no, no… "But, there will be a punishment." NO! In a blur, Teach darted forward, an energy blade sprouting around her hand. A scream ripped from Shayera's throat when the tip of it punctured underneath Katar's jaw and skewered his brain.

Her vision blurred, tears running down from her eyes over the hand of the boy who was trying to save her life. None of the pain in her body could be compared to the feeling of her other half being killed. It was as if half of her died in that moment when Katar's weapon dropped from his grasp before he collapsed.

Dead.

"You! Mom! You can't just…! I was…!" Elery pouted, crossing her arms while Teach just laughed. There wasn't even any blood on her hands. She had just killed the love of her life and the Saiyan woman was laughing.

"It wouldn't be much of a punishment if you enjoyed it, now would it?" Teach remarked, patting her daughter on the head. "But I have some good news. Your plan worked! The guns that we dropped off on the lower plates are working like a charm. Pretty much the entire planet is revolting."

The lower plates. The slums where most of the population resided. The Frieza-force gave them weapons? They were revolting?

The capital was lost. The empire was going to crumble.

Katar was dead.

For the first time in her life, the fight left Shayera. Elery shouted with pure, undiluted joy before declaring that she was going to become a general like her brother, but Shayera could barely hear her. It was like the world around her was fading away. Her grip slackened on the ledge, and she let Broly rest her against it to hide her. He cautiously removed his hand from her mouth, looking like he wanted to say something.

"I'm sorry?" He tried, sounding like he was trying to apologize for everything. From the invasion to the death of her husband to saving her life. Silent tears dripped from her eyes in response. Broly looked up, frowning as a hand went to his scouter. He paused for a second before looking at her, "I have to go now… but please don't die. I…" He trailed off, unsure what to say. So he said nothing at all.

He made a small purple ball with his hands and held it in front of her. The pain lessened instantly. Again, he opened his mouth, only to say nothing again. With a small shake of his head, Broly drifted up while looking down at her. Then he flew off, leaving her alone.

Shayera let the purple light wash over her for a while. Until it faded. Her bones were healed, the bruises had faded. Beyond a deep exhaustion that she felt all the way down to her mended bones, Shayera was physically fine. Her grip tightened on her mace before she shifted it so it was resting on her lap.

Katar was dead. The selfless idiot did something so incredibly selfish and left her alone. Part of her craved vengeance. Lusted for it. Demanded it. But Katar…

"Broly…" Shayera spoke slowly, her tears continuing to fall. The taste of blood was heavy on her tongue.

"No matter what… I'm going to save you."

Because that's what heroes do.

* * *

There will be no updates from the 23rd to 30th. I'll be back on the 31st with a chapter of Power Corrupts and the schedule will continue as normal.

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
